Blow Me Away But Keep Me Close
by bottle of beast
Summary: "Where am I?" "You're in Amestris." "Wait...isn't that a minor shoe company?" Tally isn't brave or a genius. But she has enough sense to know that if she's in a world where plain, long, beige sundresses are in style, something is up. Ed/OC
1. Of Death, Deep Thoughts, and Rants

_There are so many theories of what happens when you die. But, like everything else remotely interesting on this Earth, there's no proof. Of course, there're people who 'come back from the dead' with stories about heaven and all that stuff. But they have no proof that they weren't high on LSD, so screw that. _

_The thing is that I don't like thinking about this kind of stuff. If God really does exist, and if he dislikes me, then I'm going to 'burn in hell' for eternity. Question: If God is so 'forgiving' and 'kind', why does he send people to hell if they made some mistakes? And what about the homosexuals? I'm not exactly bisexual, but I've had girl crushes before. Does that make me a sinner? _

_Sorry. I'm rambling. I do that a lot when I'm nervous, see. But this isn't God's story. This is mine._

_As you're all aware of (unless you live under a rock), we have those religious fanatics that have the whole boundary thing. Heaven, hell. Good, bad. Crazy, sane. That sort of thing. Then there're the atheists and science-geeks. The ones that insist that nothing happens to you. That you die, and worms and bugs eat your body, which, naturally, brings about pleasant mental images._

_And then there's me, the people too scared to make assumptions. Too scared to know about all the mistakes you can make. One mistake and BLAM! You could be burning for eternity. I hate to admit it, but that's what scares me the most: The future._

_The sad thing is that you never _know. _That you're going to die, I mean. You don't wake up with a bad feeling in your stomach. You don't feel dizzy. And despite what some movies may tell you, you never notice some random dude in a trench coat staring at you across your school or college or cardboard box or whatever. You never know. And when you do die, it's over faster than you can imagine. One second and your grasp on life just disappears, leaving nothing but...emptiness. Emptiness. Empty, empty, empty. Like a pot. Of...nothing._

_I'm bad with metaphors. _

_The thing is that, when I died, none of this happened. I didn't wake up feeling sick. I didn't go to hell (thank God). Now that I think about it, I didn't even see my life flash before my eyes, like they say you do. Which is good. The last thing I need is to relive the time I tripped and tumbled into a huge garbage can (cute boys were watching, of course). _

_But something _did _happen. Something...well, I don't know. Extraordinary? Magical? Crazy? Take your pick. I honestly couldn't care less. _

_I ended up somewhere...different. A place I'd never expected. Screw fiction, this is real. I'm not joking. Therefore, you cannot ship me off to the nuthouse. I have proof...sort of. I just wish someone could have prepared me for this. I'm not the type of person who can go around, surviving anything. I barely survived it when Brian Davis told me that he thought we should both start seeing other people. I'm girly, I know. But who cares? At least I have fashion sense! Instead of walking around in those ugly stained T shirts and jeans everyone else wears. At least I-_

_Okay. More rambling. I apologize. _

_My point is that...life can end quickly. You may think you have all the time in the world but you don't. You never do. One bullet, one stab, one wrong fall and you're gone. Life is fragile. Too fragile. It's like a glass, waiting to fall and shatter. _

_And the thing is that you never know when it will break. Or if you can pick up the pieces. _

_My name is Tally Kingston. I'm fifteen years old._

_And this is my story. _

* * *

><p><strong>For those of you that read Pros and Woes, I'm incredibly sorry I had to take it down. This story is not only dedicated to all of you, but for my beautiful, lovely sister. I love you, Sahnia, and, together, we shall win this thing called life. I will always be there for you. I love you.<strong>

**Despite the new title, characters and some plot changes, this story will be very much similar with Pros and Woes. This story, however, is titled 'Blow Me Away But Keep Me Close'. Why? I'll explain later on in the story (Ahem...much later on, actually.). I really hoped you guys liked this so far, despite the fact that it's just a prologue.**

**Tally is based on me, for personal purposes I'd rather not mention right now. She is one of those girly girls. The kind that can apply makeup flawlessly and recite quotes from famous rom-coms. I wanted to put in one of those girls that you can't imagine falling into Amestris. Not the typical anime-fan-that-couldn't-care-less-if-she-was-wearing-a-sweater-soaked-in-ketchup. She will be a bit snobby, though. Meh... **

**And according to scientific research, if you review this story, you will be saving baby penguins. :) **


	2. Of Accidents, Ditching, and Bitchy Teens

Tally was certain that there was nothing more satanic than the ringing of an alarm clock, cutting through the mental fog of the early hours of the morning. Unfortunately for her, she had to face this demon every weekday, at six o'clock AM, exactly. At this ungodly hour, the first notes of Lady GaGa's 'Bad Romance' would start blasting out of her radio speakers and her eyes would snap open immediately. Who's wouldn't, really? She would then groan, shut it off, trying to squeeze in a few more seconds of rest. But eventually, she would get out, and begin blasting music again while she got ready for school/prison.

Friday, September twenty-third, however, was a bit different.

The night before, she had been so exhausted from a day of shopping and walking and jumping and acting mental that she had just collapsed in bed, without turning her alarm on. This resulted in her sleeping through six. And seven. She finally awoke at seven thirty, fifteen minutes before her friend Justin usually picked her up for school.

Which was why, when Tally's eyes finally fluttered open and she sleepily glanced at the alarm clock beside her bed, she gasped. Throwing the blankets off, she let out a string of curses. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit!"

Oh, Lord, Justin was going to _kill _her! Luckily, her mother had left for work, or she might have aided in that. She brushed her teeth as she pulled her socks on, changing out of her pajamas as fast as she could. Lucky for her, she had picked out her outfit and straightened her hair the day before, so she wouldn't need to spend too much time on those necessary actions.

She was buttering a slice of bread when the first honk sounded. She squealed at the sudden sound, jumping. The bread slipped from her grasp to the floor, buttered side down. Tally groaned. This was not her day.

"Shit, shit, fuck, shit, shit!" she hissed to herself, grabbing her bag and running out the door, slamming it behind her. Justin raised an eyebrow at her hair, even more wild than usual. Her jacket was falling off one shoulder, and her shoes were untied.

Tally Kingston looked like a mess.

"Bad morning?" He asked, as she hopped in.

Tally rolled her eyes. Justin knew her better than anyone. "You don't know the half of it." She snapped her fingers irritably. "I need coffee. Now."

Justin smirked at her, gesturing with his chin to the cup holder as he started the car. Tally sighed with happiness and grabbed the steaming cup waiting in the holder - vanilla latte, extra sugar, extra cream - and took a long, grateful sip. "Mmmm ... caffeine, I love you." She turned to Justin. "Thanks."

"No problemo, darling." He winked at her, and Tally took another moment to wonder why he didn't have girls chasing after him. With his curly brown hair (much like her own) and the kind of clear, creamy complexion Tally would kill for, Justin was easiest one of the cutest guys in school. Tally would have probably fallen head over heels in love with him, if he hadn't confessed to her when the two were fourteen, telling her he was gay.

"Fridays are always the worst," Justin sighed.

"Not exactly. Mondays suck more."

"Yeah, but with Mondays, you know what to expect. With Fridays ... you're so damn close to freedom, yet so far." He pouted.

Tally just shrugged.

"So, what is with your ... outfit?" He asked curiously.

"What's wrong with it?" Tally asked anxiously, self-consciously running a finger over her gray leggings. Paired with her green, belted dress and a brown jacket (which she would obviously shed as soon as she got onto the premises), she looked better than most of the jeans-and-t-shirts kids at her school. But not good enough for Tally Kingston. Not even with the scarf she threw over her shoulders. She looked almost plain. When Justin didn't say anything, she whimpered, hysteria creeping behind her tone. She was about to ask once more, when Justin burst out laughing.

"Gee, don't die on me, Tall!" He grinned. Tally punched him playfully, relief washing over her like hot rain.

"Don't ever scare me like that. Okay?" she smile-rolled her eyes.

"Meh. Whatever. D'you know what we need?"

"Music?"

"Definitely music. Go ahead, le DJ."

Tally grinned, tuning it the radio to the local pop station. Soon, Justin Bieber was blasting out of the radio. She wasn't too much of a fan (she wasn't _that _mainstream) but the look on Justin's face made it worth it.

"Oh, no, not this autotuned-to-death chick!" He groaned, banging his head on the steering wheel.

"You know you guys are destined for each other. You even share the first name!"

"Ri-iiight. He's not even gay."

"According to most, he is."

"They have no proof."

"Oh, give it up, Justin. We all know you do certain things to JB's picture in your bathroom." She threw her head back and laughed at Justin's horrified look.

"I," he said slowly, "am going to pretend that I didn't hear that and that, if I did, it did not raise any images in my mind I would have rather not have seen."

"Oh, God," Tally groaned. "Now you telepathically delivered those pictures to _my _head. I could have lived a full life without seeing ... _that_."

"So you agree that talking about Justin Bieber brings about traumatizing thoughts?"

"I suppose so."

"That's my girl."

Tally rolled her eyes, sighing and settling back into her seat. "Today's going to be boring. I can feel it."

"Ditto, darling."

* * *

><p><em>You see? We didn't know.<em>

* * *

><p>Albert Einstein High School was a relatively small building, composed of the usual cement-and-red-bricks design. There were kids perched on the steps leading to the front doors, lounging on the stone eagles beside the stairs. And they were noisy, talking, laughing, yawning. Some had notebooks open on their laps, scrawling down frantically-done homework. A few couples were having their morning face-sucking rituals, and Justin rolled his eyes at them.<p>

"You'd think they'd have the decency to have lip sex in private."

Tally shrugged. "Just ignore them."

Stacey Gillson, who had been previously kissing Keith McRyson, let out a loud moan, straddling her boyfriend's hips with her legs.

"Easier said than done..." Justin muttered.

Tally was just rummaging through her locker, gathering all her books and reapplying her lip gloss, when someone practically jumped her. "TALLY!"

With a squeak, the brunette jumped and nearly dropped her books. She glared at the person responsible for her act of indignity: Maddie.

Madison Hamming was her second best friend, right after Justin. Ever since the two had been assigned to a project in eighth grade, they had gone one countless shopping sprees and sleepovers, despite the fact that Maddie had done most of the work on the project. But it wasn't Tally's fault that she was useless when it came to science. Nor was it her fault her classes were so damn _boring._

"Maddie, if you scare me like that one more time, I swear-"

"Do you like my new shoes?" The blonde did a little spin, showing off her new leather boots. Tally groaned, but she had to admit, they were pretty cute.

"They look fine." She refused to let Maddie know that she had her wrapped around her pointy-toed shoe. "Listen, I gotta get to homeroom-"

"Guess what? Nelly's having a party tonight. There'll probably be a keg stand."

"You know I don't drink."

"Well, you can invite your boyfriend over ... what was his name? Jackson?"

"Justin," Tally said through gritted teeth. She remembered the promise she had made her best friend all those years ago and resisted the urge to blurt out his sexuality. "And he's not my boyfriend."

"Suuuuure he isn't. You know, I don't know why you two don't just come out with your relationship. You have _no_ idea how jealous Darcy Robertson will be. She's had a crush on Justin for years."

"As nice as making Darcy envy me for a change, I'll pass. We're not together. We're just friends."

"Friends with benefits?"

"Oh, gross!" She shook her head, slamming the locker shut. "I'm going to go to homeroom now. I'll see ya at lunch."

"Sure! But when we do, we totally need to talk about getting you a boyfri-"

"Cya."

* * *

><p>Homeroom flew by. And so did math. And science. But English was better. It was Tally's favorite subject, the easiest one for her. Her teacher, Mrs. Jordan, was the one teacher who didn't put her to sleep. Most of the class was writing prompts, which was so easy it should have been illegal. She had never gotten less than an A- on any of her English assignments.<p>

Regardless, she was ecstatic when lunch finally started. She carried her plate of fries to her usual table, by the window. Justin was already seated, inhaling the equivalent to a day's food.

"You're going to get fat," Tally warn-chuckled, sitting across from him.

"Nrjibond," Justin said, pieces of ham spewing out of his mouth.

Tally grimaced, throwing a fry at him. He caught it and popped it into his mouth, grinning at her as he chewed.

"Close your mouth!" Maddie squealed, plopping down in her seat, next to Tally. "You're making me sick!"

Justin swallowed, shaking his head at Maddie's salad. "I don't see how you girls can eat that. It's like ... rabbit food."

"Well, bunnies are cute," Tally pointed out. "Whales are not."

"Yes, they are!" Maddie insisted. "They're so big and blue! And they smile so much!"

"I think you mean dolphins," Justin said.

"Whales are big and blue, but they don't smile." Tally agreed.

"Well, I think we need to change that. Who's with me for a Save The Whales foundation?" Maddie looked around at her friends expectantly.

No one volunteered.

"You guys are so mean," she pouted. "You should totally go vegetarian. You'll be saving animals!"

"Cut the act, Maddie, we all know you've gone veggie to lose weight." Justin rolled his eyes. "If you care about animals so much, you should know that your boots once walked around and mooed."

"And peed milk," Tally added.

Justin pushed his chocolate milk carton away. "Suddenly, this is no longer appetizing."

"Shocking." Maddie feigned a look of surprise, and Tally giggled.

"Hey-Hey!"

Tally glanced up, ready to greet whatever loner had strayed by their table, when she recognized the person. And choked on air.

There, standing in all her glory, was Dominique. She flashed a Crest-perfect smile at Justin before sitting right next to him. "And how is everyone today?"

"Um...hi?" Justin said nervously, shooting Tally a look that said, _Help me._

"Dee-Dee!" Maddie squealed. Tally and Justin exchanged looks.

Darcy flipped her auburn curls over one shoulder, smiling tightly at Maddie. "Hi. So, Justin, that science assignment blowed, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, totally," he said through a mouthful of fries.

"I mean, it wasn't that hard. But my partner, Kayla, was being a total bitch. I had to do, like, seventy-five percent of all the work, because she didn't even know what a molecule was." Darcy rolled her green eyes.

"Bummer!" Maddie exclaimed. Tally resisted the urge to slap her. Why was she sucking up to Darcy, anyway? Didn't she remember how Darcy had spread the rumor that Tally had lost her virginity to a smoothie shop guy in grade seven? She had to survive being called Berry-Sweet for almost a year!

"So, Darcy, what brings you here?" Tally made sure her voice was laden down with the same fake sweetness that contaminated Darcy's.

The redhead shrugged, stirring her water carefully with a straw. "Nothing concerning you, really. I was just wondering if Justin, here, would be my lab partner?"

"We already chose partners..." Justin muttered. "Remember? I have Colin, and-"

"Oh, but I'm sure Mr. Docker wouldn't mind switching things up a bit. Just say that Colin isn't cooperative or something like that." She batted her eyelashes, and Tally rolled her eyes. How could one person be that blind?

"But I _don't _have a problem with Colin." Justin's voice had lost its edgy quality now and was pure snark. Figured. He had had a crush on Colin for years, though Tally always thought that the other boy was straight. The argument had been something going on for a few years now.

Darcy was about to open her huge ass mouth, probably to protest, when Tally stood up, not able to take her any longer. "Hey, Justin, didn't Ms. Corad ask us to come to gym a few minutes early today? Something about helping set up the equipment..."

Justin stood up, too, nodding vigorously. He obviously decided to ignore the fact that they didn't have gym together.

"There's, like, fifteen minutes to lunch," Maddie pointed out.

"Let's go." Tally smirked at Darcy's fuming face, leading Justin out of the cafeteria. Behind her, she could hear Maddie's excited, "I'll be your lab partner, Darce!" and Darcy's, "We don't even have science together, you idiot!"

* * *

><p>"God, what a fucking bitch!"<p>

Tally let loose the second they were out of the cafeteria, away from the loud buzz of students. Swearing never failed to capture the emotion in even her most angriest, rage-filled moments. Such as this one.

"I just don't see why she won't leave me alone. Can't the girl take a hint?" Justin sighed.

"Apparently not. Here's a thought, next time, just full out tell her to. Fuck. Off."

Justin raised an eyebrow at his friend, shaking his head, but smiling. "You're evil."

"And proud."

"But Maddie had a point. We have fifteen minutes, if not more, 'till our next class. And we obviously can't go back in there."

Tally's face lit up. "Well, my sweet friend, allow me to use this time to aid you in enhancing your less-than-perfect skills, _dans le Francais._"

Justin groaned. "No! I refuse to study that ... that blasphemy!"

"It's easy," Tally insisted.

"Easy for you to say. You're French."

Tally rolled her eyes. "Barely." She and Justin had collaborated on a genealogy project once, and had discovered that a few of her ancestors were, in fact, French.

"I don't care if it's 'barely' or what. You have French blood flowing through your veins."

"All the more reason for me to share my genius with those lower life organisms. I consider it my French _duty _to educate naive fools, such as yourself, in the language of _loooooooove._"

"I refuse. Whoever invented verb conjugation is a sadistic bastard."

"Doesn't change a thing, dear." Tally hooked her arm through his and steered him in the direction of the stairs. "Library it is."

* * *

><p>"No, Justin, that's not how you conjugate <em>bondir<em>!"

Justin let out another exasperated yell, earning himself a glare from the librarian's direction. She raised her finger to his lips. "Shhhh."

"Look, when you conjugate an 'ir' verb, you have to put the-"

"Enough!" Justin hissed. "This is a stupid way to spend fifteen minutes of freedom!"

"It's been reduced to ten minutes."

"Screw this. Let's go grab a bite."

Tally's eyes widened. "Wait ... you don't mean skip class, do you?"

Justin shot her a _you-can't-be-that-clueless,-can-you? _look. "No, Tally. I mean that we can go to church."

Tally rolled her eyes at this. "We can't skip! We'll get in trouble! My mom will kill me!"

"If no one catches us, we're good."

"Yeah, but the-"

"Tally, this is our freshman year."

"So?"

"So would you rather be known as a goody-goody rule follower? Or someone that isn't afraid to take risks?"

"...Neither?"

"The risk is half the fun!" And then he gave her 'the look'. His hazel eyes widened to puppy dog proportions, staring into Tally's brown ones. He pouted, sticking his bottom pink lip out and let out a little whimper...

"Alright, alright!" she shrieked, looking away so as not to scream at her best friend for being too cute. "I'll go!"

"Yes!" Justin fist-pumped. "Let's go to the-"

"Shhh!"

The two glanced at the librarian for a bit before bursting into silent giggles.

* * *

><p><em>Now that I think about it, the thing I miss most about Earth is the people there. Even Darcy would have been better than the shit I had to go through.<em>

_I miss Justin the most, though._

* * *

><p>It was cold outside. Very cold.<p>

Tally was cursing her decision to wear a dress on this day as she and Justin padded along the sidewalk. Dirt and leaves crunched underneath their feet and the wind raised goosebumps, even through their clothes. Anyone walking along would have obviously wondered why the two were not in school. Lucky for them, the only other pedestrian was an old lady, walking her chihuahua. The tiny dog barked at Tally, who jumped and clutched Justin's arm like a life raft.

"Let's go grab a few ice creams," Justin said, a cold cloud of air punctuating his each word.

"I-In this weather?" Tally raised an eyebrow, shivering.

Justin shrugged, pulling his hoodie tighter around him. "Hey, the ice cream shop'll have a heater."

Tally sighed. "True. I just hope they have marshmallows this time. I'm getting sick of too many chocolate chips.

"You'll get fat." He giggle-grinned, poking her playfully in the side. She smiled and swatted his hand away. "With all of that coffee and ice cream you're addicted to..."

"I have awesome metabolism." She linked arms with him again and he smiled back at her.

These were the times Tally felt most happy. With her best friend, the high rush of risk-taking adrenaline pumping through her body. She usually felt that around Justin, only. Like she could do anything she wanted, because he gave her the inspiration and ability that she could do so. He made her feel alive, like she was drunk from just being around him. He understood anything she could throw at him. Of course, she never told him this. He'd probably say something like, _"Well, I'm flattered. But I'd be a tad bit more flattered if you were a guy." _And then she'd say, _"Well, do excuse my lack of penis."_

She chuckled at the thought of that awkward conversation as the two pushed through the doors of _I Scream Ice Cream Parlor_. Despite the cheesy name, Tally loved it here. And she was reminded of that love as a wave of heat enveloped her. Judging by Justin's sigh, she knew he felt it, too.

The duo settled in a corner seat with their ice creams, ten minutes later. Despite the cold, they ordered the same favorite: Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, marshmallows and crushed peanuts. Tally took a grateful shovelful of her ice cream. The chocolately flavor exploded across her tongue, and she winced as a throb rang through her head. "Shit ... brainfreeze."

Justin shook his head. "I should've warned you." He stuck his tongue out, taking a bite of his own dessert.

"Yes. You're a terrible friend. I'll never forgive you." She smirked at his pouting expression.

"Well, it's nice to know you have my back," he commented.

Tally was about to open her mouth to provide another biting response when the door opened, bringing in a waft of cool air and two people with it. She recognized them immediately from her school. A girl and a boy. The girl had wavy red hair, pale skin and a model's figure.. The boy had windswept blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. His skin was tan. His muscles were well defined.

It was Darcy. And she was hanging on the arm of Tally's long time crush, Dylan Gregory.

The redhead smirked at Tally as she strode by. But Tally barely noticed her. No, her gaze was fixed on Dylan, his defined jaw, the way his t shirt showed off his arm muscles (Who cared if it was stained and a fashion tragedy?). White hot jealousy buzzed through her, spreading to the ends of her fingertips, lighting her up like a firecracker. She pursed her lips angrily, narrowing her eyes at the evil teenager that had so easily stolen her crush. It was to make Justin jealous, no doubt. That was obvious by the way her eyes kept glancing at him. What was also obvious was how Justin's gaze was fixed on Dylan.

"Damn..." he muttered. "I always thought Dylan was smarter than that. He told me he wanted to be a scientist when he grew up ... like me." His eyes looked positively dreamy. Tally poked him.

"Dude, he doesn't play for your team," she whispered.

"I can still dream, can't I?" He shrug-asked.

Tally nodded, biting her lip. She kept watching them, as the two ordered a strawberry sundae, complete with a cherry on top. With two spoons. She scowled as Dylan let Darcy lick his spoon clean, and when she winked at Tally coyly.

"Well, two hearts were broken today." Tally rolled her eyes, tracing a faux-tear down her cheek, pretending like she was not totally crushed about this. Justin, however, was not convinced of this. It was obvious his dark-haired friend was upset, by the way she aggressively stabbed her spoon around in her ice cream, stirring with vicious strokes.

"Perhaps we can sign into the same mental clinic." He smirked, tearing his eyes away from Dylan for a bit. A bit.

"Well, you could be a little more discreet about checking him out," Tally pointed out. "He's looking at you weird."

It was true. Dylan's eyebrows were furrowed, his teeth knawing on his lower lip. Finally, he relaxed, smiling and waving. It carved a dimple into his cheek.

Tally's insides melted. Suddenly, she looked down at her huge ice cream, her eyes widened with panic. "Holy shit. He probably thinks I'm some huge fatass! I can't eat this in front of him!"

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Trust me on this one, Tal. Guys like girls who can eat. You have no idea how annoying it is, all those picky cheerleaders that won't touch a french fry without grimacing."

Tally decided to ignore that fact. "How would you know? You're gay!" she whispered.

"So? You think all my friends are gay?"

"Yes, but your friends aren't like Dylan. Most of them are in the computer club."

Justin sighed, shaking his head. "If a guy can't accept you and all your flaws, it he's not worth your time."

"You wouldn't say that if I had a mustache and one eye."

"Actually, I would. It shouldn't matter if you're completely hairy and eyeless. Guys need to love people for who they are."

Tally groaned. "How come all the full packages - cute, funny, and sweet - are gay?"

Justin shrugged. "Easy. We're teased and prejudiced every day. We know what it feels like, and we don't want that for other people."

Tally gave her best friend a wistful smile. "I have no idea what I'd do without you, Justin. Or how I could repay you for all your pep talks."

"You could always buy me another ice cream."

* * *

><p>Though getting to school on time was so easy it should have been illegal, getting back was a different story alltogether.<p>

Lucky for Justin and Tally, the weather had died down a bit, so they had been shaking less enough to get back without tumbling to the floor. She cursed her lack of hat.

"Can I borrow yours?" she asked Justin anxiously.

Justin rolled his eyes. "I wish. I have sensitive ears."

"So do I!" Tally hissed, pulling her hair aside to display her ears to the public. They had gone from pale to strawberry red. No hyperbole intended.

"They must be pretty numb. This would be the perfect time to get your ears pierced."

"I wish. I promised my mom I would only get them pierced once. I can't wait until I'm eighteen and out of there. Then ... real life begins!"

"If by real life you mean running away to England to become a tattoo artist, then yes, it does begin." Justin rolled his eyes at Tally's less-than-realistic dreams.

"Tattoos are cool!" Tally protested. "And, besides, by then, I'll be eighteen! My mom can't control me anymore. Thank God."

Justin rolled his eyes. "I know you Tallinator. You're way too soft to face a sobbing mom and pack whilst she begs for you to stay."

"She won't beg. She won't give a shit."

"You and I both know that's not true."

She couldn't even deny that. Her mother had already told her that, other than for university, she was to stay at home until she got married to a nice man. Tally didn't have the heart to tell her that she would marry whoever she fell in love with, Christian or not, male or female, rich or poor. But then a little picture of her possible reaction popped into Tally's head: a hysterical screaming mother, throwing vases and pots and pans around. Not happy.

Tally shook her head. She was thinking too much. And thinking too much or too deeply never did her any good. Never did anyone any good.

"Well, I can't be the picture-perfect, God-worshipper my mom wants me to be. Besides, you know I only worship one magical being." She winked. "Well, two. Nyan Cat, for one. And ... pop tarts."

Justin threw his head back and laughed. "Nyan Cat?"

The entire way back to school, the two couldn't stop Nyanning.

* * *

><p>Justin decided to go through the side entrance, and Tally the back, through the gym. She cracked the door open and, relieved to find the gym empty, she raced through the open space and out the gym door, into the hall. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. About fifteen minutes to next period. She decided to loiter for a bit. What harm could it do?<p>

Whistling softly to herself, she padded through the empty halls. Once or twice, she met another student, probably a rebel like herself. She saluted one, a tall, gawky kid with glasses, and he grinned and saluted back.

It made her feel happy. Part of something. She kept walking, a ball of warmth in the pit of her stomach.

Her thoughts eventually wandered to Dylan. Just thinking about him made her knees weak, and she reached out and set her hand against the wall to steady herself. She wondered what it would be like to be his girlfriend. According to Lacey Manning, his ex girlfriend, he was a fabulous kisser.

"Just perfect," she would tell the other girls. "His lips are soft and taste like ... mint."

Mint. Mint was yummy.

Well, except for mint chocolate. That was gross.

Tally was about to get into an in-depth thinking time about mint chocolate and how disgusting it was, when she heard a curt "Ahem" behind her.

The teenager whipped around, pasting a smile onto her face. But it slowly disappeared as she found herself face-to-face with Mr. Andrews. As the principal of the school, the tall, balding man took pride in causing many students severe emotional pain, carelessly throwing out detentions and phone calls home.

He would not take kindly to a student skipping class.

"Uh..." she said intelligently.

"May I ask what you are doing out of class, Miss Kingston?" His mustache twitched with each word.

"Er ... I had to go to the bathroom..." she said slowly, relief washing over her with her new excuse.

"Where is your hall pass?"

_Up your ass, sir. _Tally bit her lip nervously. "Uh ... I have a free period...?"

He shook his head, eyes narrowed. "You're coming with me."

"What? Why?"

She should have known better than to object. Mr. Andrews's face turned red, bearing him a resemblance to a tomato.

_"Because," _he hissed, "you are obviously trying to get out of class for some ... foolish reasons."

Tally's eyes widened innocently. "What? I would never! I love..." she glanced at the clock: 2:17. She would usually be having math right now. "...math!"

He smirked. "I thought you had a free period?"

_Oops._

Tally was about to say that she was using her free period to catch up on math homework when Mr. Andrews shook his head, snapping his fingers abruptly. Snapping meant business. He gestured for Tally to follow him, and she did, gulping and cursing Justin and his need to be spontaneous.

It was evident that she was being led to the office, and she cringed at the thought of having to face her mother if he called home. She had to devise up a lie, as stealthily and quickly as she possibly could. Her brain immediately launched into the task, excuses and thoughts whirling around like a tornado in her mind.

_Riiiiiiiiiing!_

The second the bell rang, Mr. Andrews stopped and blinked, momentarily stunned. Tally who had, for once, not jumped and shrieked, took this moment to make a run for it. Muttering something about feminine emergencies (That should stop him from following, right?), she spun on her heel and ran, ran down the hallway, turned a corner, and padded up the stairs, as fast as she could, the only thought running through her head being _'Ha!'_

* * *

><p><em>Party at Jill's tonight. U in?<em>

Tally stared at the text in her hand, flashing up at her from her Samsung. It would make sense Maddie wanted to party. Again. She contemplated the choice. Jillian Van Loise took 'party-girl' to a whole new level. Her parents were barely home, and this resulted in her calling over whoever would come to drink, trash the house, and make out with any lips within range. Would her mother say yes? No. Could she lie?

Duh.

She texted back, _You kno me._

* * *

><p>"Hi, Mom," Tally greeted as her mother ducked in through the door, offering her only daughter a smile.<p>

"Evening, dear. How was school?"

"Uh ... it was good. I, um, think I got an A on the math test." Lie. There had been no math test. Well, there was one from last week, and she was sure she got an A on that one, so it wasn't an_ entire_ lie...

"Really?" Miranda Kingston's face brightened as she gave her daughter a quick hug. "That's wonderful!

"Yeah, I studied real hard for it." _Almost two whole minutes!_

"Well, I'm proud of you." She smiled before disappearing into the kitchen, probably to get started on dinner.

"Uh ... so ... how was work?"

Miranda shrugged. "Same old, same old. Nothing out of usual."

"Boring?"

"Very."

Tally nodded, like she understood how grueling office jobs could be. She twisted the end of her hoodie nervously (She had changed before coming home, knowing how her mother would react to wearing a dress in the cold). She had to play this carefully. She couldn't say that she was going to Justin's house to study, as she would never be aloud to go. _"Who knows what you and that boy could do together!" _But ... maybe ... if she could use Maddie...

"Um ... Mom, remembering the Hammings?"

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "The family that has that Canada day barbecue every year?"

Tally nodded.

"What about them?"

"Maddie's, er, holding a studying party at her house tonight. Until ... ten."

"Ten?" The older woman's eyes widened and her manicured nails gripped her hips. "Why so long?"

"It's for a huge history exam."

"History exam?"

"Yes. A huge one. Like, really huge. Really, really huge."

_That's what she said, _Tally thought slyly, trying to stop the immature giggle that threatened to bubble out of her.

"You'll be back at ten, exactly?"

"...Yes."

"Who else will be there?"

"Mostly the girls from school. A few guys, maybe."

"Will her parents be home?"

"Of course!"

"Any alcohol?"

"Mom! You know I don't drink." At least that wasn't a lie.

Miranda sigh-smiled, running a finger through her long black locks. "Alright."

Tally blinked. "What?"

"You can go. Be back right at ten. Want me to drop you off?"

"Oh, uh, no. I can walk." She smiled, leaning forward and giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks." She ignored the ball of guilt growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Have fun, okay?"

"I will."

* * *

><p><em>Save me the lecture. I know I'm a horrible daughter. But you would've done the same thing, in my shoes. Don't even deny it.<em>

* * *

><p>The first thing Tally thought as she and Justin pulled into the driveway of the Van Loise house (Mansion, more like. The thing was huge.) was<em>Woah. <em>Well, not the first thing, since her first thought was _Holy shit, this music is going to blow my head up. _LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem' was blasting from inside, something she and Justin noticed as entered the house. The music was so loud, the bass seemed to flow through their bodies, pumping them with adrenaline.

This was life.

Justin noticed that she was shaking a bit, and he squeezed her hand. "What's wrong?"

"This is my first time ... being at a party like this..."

The teenager shrugged. "Ditto. But don't worry. Everyone's too busy getting drunk or high, and making out. They can't do anything to hurt you here."

"Yeah, but..."

"Besides, their hangovers will be so huge tomorrow, they won't remember a single thing."

Tally smiled a bit. "Are you going to drink? I'm not." She remembered the first time her mother had gotten drunk, and shuddered.

"I grew up with alcoholic parents, sweetheart. No way in hell am I going to end up like them."

Tally nodded.

"Just have fun, okay?" He winked and was off.

The second he was gone, Tally felt alone. Very alone. People were swimming all around her, laughing, talking, yelling, drinking. She blinked once, twice. It smelled like sweat and alcohol. She felt almost a bit grown up, here by herself. Like the first time she had walked to the convenience store by herself.

But what should she do here?

She spotted Maddie the same time Maddie spotted her. Before Tally could do anything, her friend squealed and ran over. "You're here!"

Tally smiled nervously.

"Isn't this awesome?" Maddie swayed her hips to the music, a Rihanna song that Tally couldn't remember the name of.

Tally shrugged. "What do you usually do at these types of things?"

"What do you mean? We dance. We drink. We make out." She giggled. "I just kissed Noah. You know, the dude in your homeroom? He's hot."

Tally nodded absentmindedly. "What, so you guys basically make out with anyone in here?"

Maddie grinned. "Basically. As long as they're not together with someone else."

Suddenly, an idea lightbulb went off in Tally's head. She whispered, "Are Dylan and Darcy together?"

Maddie looked shocked. "No way! They are? How come I never heard about this?"

Ignoring Maddie's misunderstanding, a wave of relief washed over Tally, and she bit her tongue to keep from laughing like a maniac. If Dylan and Darcy were together, Maddie would be the first one to know, due to her uncanny gossiping habits. Yes! She still had a chance! A slim one, but a chance all the same. She pushed past Maddie and through the crowd, looking around for Dylan. He _had _to be here. Dylan missing a party was like Tally missing a shopportunity.

At last, she caught sight of his head, the blonde glowing under the lights. As usual, he was in a crowd of people (mostly girls) and his dancing was evidence to his drunkenness. Tally suppressed a smirk. If he were drunk, he wouldn't be able to think straight. And if he wasn't able to think straight, he would be more likely to do things that he wouldn't normally do. Like kiss her. And maybe more.

She had to do this slowly and carefully. If she rushed it, she would look suspicious. She sashayed up to the crowd, squeezing her way through until she was part of the entourage closest to him. Now all she had to do was get his attention. Easier said than done. She had never kissed someone like this before. Her past boyfriends, yes, but this was new territory to her. She almost felt like a slut, and a little ball of guilt sat in the pit of her stomach. But she pushed it away, telling herself that she had already lied to get here, so she may as well make the best of it.

Even the music seemed to change as she slid up to him. It was a sensual beat, and it almost sounded as if it were encouraging her. _Go on! You only live once!_

"Hey," she whispered, hoping her voice sounded seductive.

He didn't hear her. He just kept dancing, his eyes drawn to a sultry looking blonde wearing the shortest booty shorts Tally had ever seen and a top that was practically see-through. Tally narrowed her eyes, cursing her choice of not changing into something more sexy before the party.

She stepped even closer to him, running her fingertips over her chest. Her fingers tingled. She had never been this bold before. Was it able to get high from just _being _at a party? "Hey there." She smiled, batting her eyelashes.

That got his attention. He looked down at her - he had to be at least six feet tall - and grinned. "Hey, you." His voice was slightly slurred. But she didn't care. Was he always this gorgeous?

Of course he was.

She was grinding her hips now, almost as if it were a second nature to her. Her fingers still running down his shoulders, a smirk on her face and eyelashes lowered suggestively. God. She had never felt so in control before. He was listening to her. Responding to her positively. He wanted her and nothing could make her happier right now. She would be known as gorgeous and popular and-

Suddenly, someone bumped into her. She would have fallen over if she hadn't grabbed onto the stair railing nearby, a few curses spewing from her mouth in French. Once Tally managed to straighten herself, she glared at the culprit, who was now throwing herself at Dylan. The girl was short, with long red curls.

Darcy. That bitch! That fucking bitch, stealing her spotlight, her time to shine. Suddenly, Tally found herself nearly shaking with anger. She tried everything she could to stay calm. Counted everything she could find in the room, took deep breaths. But before she knew what she was doing, she had spun on her heel and stomped out.

* * *

><p>The party had nearly died down fifteen minutes ago, and Tally checked her phone for the time: nine o'clock. She had an hour until she had to go back home, and she was glad. She wanted to get home as soon as possible. Away from boys that ignored her and bitchy girls. She sighed, tapping her foot on the concrete. She never should have come to this stupid party.<p>

"Having fun?"

Tally's head snapped up at the sarcastic voice and she found herself feeling angry all over again as she looked into the smirking face of Darcy. Her hair was tousled, obvious proof that some heavy making out had been going on in that room. An image rose in her mind, of Dylan's lips all over Darcy's. Lips that should have been on hers. Damnit, they could have. She was so fucking close and then it had been snatched away from her and she found herself getting up, eyes narrowed, lips pursed.

"Oh, yeah. I'm totally having fun," she spat, standing up.

Darcy grinned. "Looks like it." She tightened the grip on her purse she had, and Tally glanced at it. Gucci. "Why did you leave the party?" She blinked innocently, eyebrows raised like she really cared.

Tally smiled tightly. "I looked at your face and felt the need to puke."

Her smile was still in place, but her eyes flashed with rage. No one spoke like that to Darcy Robertson. Especially not Tally.

But then again, Tally didn't lie and ditch class and try to make out with popular guys, either.

This day was just full of surprises.

Suddenly, the anger in Darcy's eyes passed and she smiled even wider. She leaned in close, until her mouth was an inch away from Tally's ear. The teen could feel her breath on her ear, and she shivered.

"Want to know a secret?" Her voice was quiet. Very quiet.

"What?" she found herself asking, before she could stop.

"Dylan's lips don't taste like mint after all." Darcy pulled back and grinned her stupid Chesire-cat grin.

Tally clenched her hands tightly into fists to avoid slapping her and soon she found words spewing out of her mouth, one tumbling after the other, as if they couldn't get out of her mouth fast enough: "Neither do Justin's."

It was the wrong thing to say.

Darcy had never looked so angry, not even the time Alexis Hamilton had spilled her coffee down the front of her new Alexander McQueen dress in the middle of the cafeteria. Everyone saw then, and even though Tally was the only one to witness this moment of humiliation, Darcy looked like she could kill. She reached forward and rested her hands on the brunette's shoulders and pushed hard, sending Tally stumbling back. She narrowed her eyes.

This was war.

Tally took a step towards her and shoved even harder. They went like that for a while, shoving back and forth, each push harder than the other until Tally finally tackled her to the ground. Darcy yelped. She wrapped her fingers around Tally's hair and pulled. Tally let out a tiny shriek, pulling out of her grasp and biting her arm. Growling, punching, kicking, pushing, biting. It was a catfight, and a bit of a pathetic one.

Quite a bit.

Finally, Tally got up, tired of fighting, trying not to cry at the sight of all the grass stains on her dress. She was about to spin on her heel and stalk off when Darcy got up, too, and pushed her once more. Tally tumbled to the road.

There was a loud honking noise, louder than anything Tally had ever heard, cutting through the anger like a gunshot and leaving only one thing: confusion. The confusion quickly turned to panic as she turned to find herself staring into two headlights, the bright beam of a coming car staring her down. Her brain screamed at her to move but her feet seemed to be stuck to the floor, as if glued there. She heard something, a distant scream, and one phrase ran through her head: _Dear In Headlights._

Then she felt something slam into her, sucking the air out of her. As she tumbled to the ground, she vaguely thought: _Holy shit. I was hit by a car. _Pain spread everywhere, hot, like fire. Like she was engulfed in flames and tears shot to her eyes. But he couldn't cry. She couldn't even scream. There was something heavy on top of her. Very heavy and she couldn't move and oh God, she was going to die. It was clear. She was done. Finished.

She remembered the slam of a car door, another scream, cursing, and a light, bright blue. It was shining, bringing her up, and she wondered if she was going to heaven. _Shit, _she thought. _My hair is completely ruined._

And then everything went black.

* * *

><p><em>I know what you're going to say. I think I may be psychic...<em>

_You think I deserve this, don't you? You think that, with all of my breaking rules and lying to my mother and being an all around bitch, I deserve this fate. I got what I needed, something to wake me up and remind me that reality isn't for me to play with. It's fragile, and I know it is._

_But look at yourself. Have you never skipped class? Lied? Got into a fight? I didn't do anything wrong. I was living, and you know you've done all this before. I did something ... bad, sure. But bad enough for me to deserve this? Deserve to get killed? Deserve to get killed without saying getting to say goodbye?_

_Think about it._

* * *

><p><strong>Finally. I finish this chapter and the only thought running through my head is 'Bwaaah'. O.O<strong>

**First of all, I'm just going to say that I'm sorry times ten I couldn't update quicker. School has been a fucking bitch this week. We have, like, 9001 projects. We were supposed to have another one, but a few of us were going to have mental breakdowns so our teacher was kind enough to postpone it. :3 Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be sitting here, writing this A/N. Ah. I'm so proud of myself. :D**

**Second of all, I think this chapter sucks. Things went too fast for my taste, because I wanted to include too many events in one day. So I'm really sorry if you guys are laughing at this. Why don't I change it, you ask? One reason: I'm lazy. :3**

**Third of all, I like waffles. I'm not kidding. Especially those chocolate chip waffles, with Nutella in the middle and whipped cream... *goes into waffle fantasies***

**Fourth of all, I just realized that if my friends are telling the truth with all of their "Tally sounds just like you!"s, then I must be a pretty big bitch. What an interesting wakeup call this is. A bit awkward, but interesting all the same.**

**Fifth of all, I hope you all like this. Yeah, sure, it may not be as good as my original ... or ... maybe it is! Maybe it's_better!_Discovery! :D**

**Sixth of all, I forgot to mention the disclaimer. So here it is: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the invention of waffles. Don't rub it in. Leave me to weep in peace, alright? .**

**Seventh, I feel so happy writing this. I don't know why. I love you all! *glomp***

**Eight, it's time for ... REVIEW REPLIES! *trumpets***

**Ninth, before I begin this segment, let me just say that I fucking adore Candles by Hey Monday. I adore the Glee version even more. My new favorite song. Klaine duets... 3 *goes into Klaine fantasies***

**Tenth of all, I just realized that I went into Klaine fantasies before I truly left my waffle fantasy world. Which means ... KLAINE WAFFLE FANTASIES! *faints from the awesome***

**Eleventh of all, I think I'll start replying now...**

**AnimeVamp1997: Damn right, you're saving baby penguins! :D Yay you! And it's honestly amazing to find someone who agrees with my religious views. I'm used to most people screaming at me to repent because I have the hugest fucking crush on Rachel McAdams. o.o So yes! You deserve a Nutella-whipped-cream-chocolate-chip-waffle-sandwich! *hands her said epic item* As for your bathtub line, that made me laugh (in a good way, of course), which distracted my little brother enough for me to grab the last cookie. So thank you. :3**

**Aha, yeah, Tally is a total girly girl. And a bit of a snob (My friends: Just like you, Lia!) ... but don't worry, because she won't be going into any in-depth dialogue about Chanel's newest collection (which is fabulous, by the way), unless Ed develops a random interest in fashion. I can imagine their conversation now...**

**Tally: Oh my god! Chanel, once again, managed to portray the complicated human elegance using the most solid and simple of colors!**

**Ed: I completely agree! And the way they use their fabrics to provide comfort yet still show off the figure, whilst leaving enough to the imagination, only further proves their promise!**

**BWAHAHA!**

**I love my cave, too. Or, as I like to call it, my studio. *hugs studio***

**And, by the way, I'm really sorry to hear about your little brother. :( My best friend died a couple years ago, so I know what its like to lose someone close to you.**

**Chocolate-daddy: Lord, I adore your pen name. The second I read it, this thought ran into my head.**

**Chocolate-daddy: Who's your daddy?**

**Chocolate: YOU ARE! *bows in submission***

**o.o I think I need help. xD**

**Thank you for your kind words. :) I'm quite glad you were blown away. I was hoping to leave that reaction, to have the readers think. I've updated now, so I do hope you're still sane. ;D**

**Mushra the enterran: Thank you! :) Your comment made my day! And, yes, five penguins have been saved thanks to you lovely people.**

**LeFay Strent: God, the second I read your review and looked at your username, I started hyperventilating. You're one of my fanfiction heroes! :D Your oneshots always leave me gasping for air. They're hilarious. And you think I'm a great author? LE GASPE. This is too much for me to handle. I must go ... to the waffles...**

**Moka-girl: You like it! Yay! :D And since I was pondering for about a day over the summary, I'm really happy that you like it. :) Yes, the italics represent Tally's thoughts. So it was intended.**

**Twelfth of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed, read, and alerted me! You guys make me smile. :) And, yes, I'll be running this story for a long time. I even have a sequel planned. :D But that won't come until much later.**

**Thirteenth of all, this author's note is ... well, very long. So I'll shut up now. :3**

**Fourteenth of all (this is the last one, I swear), reviewing is very good for your metabolism. I read that on Wikipedia.**

**Twelfth, thank you to everyone who reviewed, read, and added my story to their alerts list! You guys all make me smile! Like, really smile. Those huge grins. Those kinds of smiles.**


	3. Of Hippies, Kindness, and Confusion

_There was chaos on the road, that much was blatantly obvious. Silent panic hung in the air, the still night only slashed through with with sobs and a scream, someone shrieking wildly, like a horn. A group of people had gathered around the butchered car. Once in a while, a pair of eyes would shift, hoping to be able to look away from the mess, only to meet a birch tree that looked like it had been practically cut in half. And a few would glance down, looking at their shoes, trying not to focus on the bloody concrete beneath their feet. The audience was young, the oldest person nineteen._

_None of them had ever seen anything like this._

_The party had been long forgotten, the distant dying thump of the bass fading away slowly. Ambulances and police cars were parked all around, the reds and whites and noises cutting through the panic. Two stretchers were being unloaded from the ambulance. Everyone was quiet, except for the few officers that asked people what they saw. Most mumbled and said nothing. A girl with red hair was observing everything with watery green eyes, trying frantically to stop the sobs erupting from her mouth. There was no sorrow quite like that of a sinner._

_But no one tried to silence the ongoing scream._

_Tally Kingston was standing off to the side, her arms crossed, taking in the scene carefully. She was gnawing on her bottom lip furiously. It was evidently a car accident, and a messy one at that. She wondered what had caused it. Carefully, she made her way around the area, her shoes clicking softly on the pavement. A smirk worked its way onto her barely glossed lips as none of the officers rushed to stop her from getting too close to the wreckage, like they did with everyone else who tried to get a closer look. _Damn, _she thought. _I must be looking pretty hot today.

_Upon closer inspection, she realized that there was someone lying on the road, whilst another body was being loaded onto a stretcher. The body on the road was one of a girl. She was tall, dressed in a belted dress and boots. Her long hair was spread over the pavement and her face was streaked with blood and dirt. But from the way her cheek rested on the road, one could have expected her to be asleep._

_It took Tally ten seconds to realize she was the girl on the road. And another ten for her to figure out that she was dead._

_But it took eleven for her to realize that she was the one screaming._

* * *

><p>When Tally woke up, she was terrified that she'd still be under the car, dying, with that awful screeching sound in her ears. That was the last place she wanted to be, wedged in under there, with all that <em>panic. <em>It was crazy. Wait. The accident! Was she dead? Was she waking up in heaven? Slowly, she began to open her eyes.

But as soon as her eyes fluttered open, she groaned, squeezing them shut tightly once again. Her head hurt terribly, an awful throb ringing through her skull, like someone was drilling it with a jackhammer. She took deep breaths, struggling to calm her racing heart. _Okay, Tally. One. Two. Three. _She tried opening them once more. When she felt no pain, she smiled a bit and slowly began to sit up in the bed she was lying in - or at least she hoped it was a bed. And, judging by the soft sheets and white, she was pretty sure her guess was correct.

_Creeeaaak._

A door was opening. Tally immediately flopped back to her previous position, shutting her eyes. She prayed that whoever was entering hadn't seen her action her move. After all, if it was a rapist or a serial killer or some pedo, she wanted to make sure that he didn't notice her, thus postponing her death as much as possible.

"I know you're awake."

_Crap, _she thought. But at least the voice was female. And it was light and airy, like the woman was breathing out her words, rather than speaking them.

Experimentally, she blinked, her gaze traveling to the voice. A slim woman was sitting in one of the chairs in the room, her huge doe-eyes gazing at Tally apprehensively. She bore an odd resemblance to Bambi. Well, if Bambi was blonde. The woman didn't say anything. She just watched. And, for some reason, her gaze made the teen nervous.

Tally took another deep breath, channeling the yoga lessons she used to take with Maddie, and counted to three again before sitting up. Surprising, only a tiny jolt of pain hit her. She exhaled through her nose.

Suddenly, a small cup of something brown and steamy was shoved in front of her. Tally blinked at it, then at the blonde who had given it to her. "Huh...?"

"Drink this," she said. "It will help."

"What...?"

"Drink it."

Tally sniffed it cautiously, then wrinkled her nose. It smelled of spices and herbs, despite it's uncanny resemblance to hot chocolate (which she could really use right now). It wouldn't be safe, drinking it. Besides, this woman could really be some sort of evil witch, trying to poison her. She had just met her, after all.

_But, hey, _stirred that little voice in the back of her mind, _she doesn't _look _like a serial killer. And if she wanted to kill you, I doubt you'd still be here._

Tally didn't want to trust that little voice. She really didn't. After this, this same voice had told her to steal Kayla McRayson's stickers in grade two, thus landing her into a hell of a lot of trouble. It had also told her to go and try making out with Dylan. _And_ it had convinced her to push Darcy back instead of doing the smart thing and running away. And wasn't that action what landed her here, with Blonde Bambi? No, Tally really didn't want to trust that voice.

Of course, ignoring it would have been much easier if it wasn't so ... _convincing. _Not to mention right. Bambi wasn't a murderer. She would be dead, already, if she was.

Bambi cleared her throat. That small action drew Tally back to reality, and she hesitated for only a second before grabbing the cup and taking a sip...

...before choking.

It tasted _horrible._ Like Bambi had thrown together a load of herbs into water and called it tea. Tally grimaced, trying to get the taste off her tongue.

But despite the gruesome taste, the drink did something. The ache in her head slowed down as soon as she downed it, and she found herself drinking more of it, being careful to breathe through her mouth and not her nose. She shuddered. She felt like she was glowing, like some light was spreading through her body, all the way to her fingertips. She handed the cup back to Bambi, who wore a bemused smile on her face.

"Th-Thanks..." Her voice was clearer now, not as hoarse as before.

Bambi simply nodded. She was carefully folding an intricately designed napkin in her lap. Tally watched as she creased and folded and turned, careful not to make any sound.

Where _was _she?

"Er..." she began uncertainly, biting her bottom lip. "Wh-Who are you?"

Bambi paused, suddenly, looking up. "My name is Beth." She smiled. "And you are?"

Tally hesitated before muttering the first name that came to mind: "Elphaba."

Oh. Fucking. God. Why did ever agree to let Maddie drag her to that stupid musical? Why? And how come two years didn't erase her obsession?

Beth blinked at her curiously before nodding. "That's an interesting name. I've never heard of it before."

"Ahaha..." Tally said intelligently, thanking her lucky stars that this woman hadn't seen _Wicked. _Otherwise, she'd have known that Tally was not a misunderstood green-skinned witch, but rather, a teenager with an obsession with trends.

The blonde finished with her napkin and set the finished square on the table beside Tally's bed. "How are you feeling?"

_Shitty and confused, thanks. _"I feel fine."

"You don't look very fine. Do you have a headache? Stomachache?"

Tally shook her head, still hesitant to trust Beth. "Just a bit ... confused. Where am I?" Best come out with it.

Beth's eyes widened. "Oh. I didn't suspect a case of amnesia here..." Her voice trailed off.

"Amnesia?" That was new.

"Do you remember what happened before this?"

Once again, Tally spoke before thinking: "No."

It wasn't too bad of a choice, actually. She would rather be labeled amnesiac than crazy. And crazy she would be if she told Beth that she had died and woke up here.

"Ah. You will need to get to a doctor about this immediately."

"What?" Tally asked. "I don't ... I don't like doctors."

"Hmm ... do you remember anything?"

"Just ... I remember things about myself. I don't remember any past events and stuff, though." Was that possible? She mentally slapped herself for giving such an idiotic response. _Stupid! _She always assumed that she was pretty good at figuring out what to say.

Apparently not.

Beth nodded thoughtfully. "Are you hurting anywhere?"

"Not really," she said with a tiny shake of her head. "But, er, um, where am I?"

Beth smiled peacefully. Her features were perfectly symmetrical, like a doll's. "You're in Kriasin," she said matter-of-factly.

Tally blinked at her once. Then twice. "What?"

"You're in Kriasin." Her words were spoken slower this time, like she was speaking to a child.

"Is that ... is that in Ontario?" Because that was where she was supposed to be. In Winevra, Ontario, lying in some hospital bed in a hideous gown with doctors and friends and family and Dylan watching her lifeless body with anxious faces. Not in Kriasin, with a hippie that spoke in a tone that would put Luna Lovegood to shame.

Beth shook her head, her blonde hair bouncing around her face. "No, dear. It's in Amestris, right outside Central City."

Tally's hands started to shake. "I ... I'm sorry. I don't know where that is." She laughed nervously, trying to show that, if this was a joke, she could see right through it and that Beth should stop the act and tell where the hell she was before she -

Suddenly, was leaning over the bed, the contents of her lunch spewing out of her mouth. Luckily, Beth seemed to be prepared for this sort of thing. She calmly placed a bucket in which Tally proceeded to puke into. Once she was done, she groaned, wiped her mouth and flopped back into bed, her head swimming. Her throat hurt now, along with her skull and stomach.

Wonderful.

And Beth just kept staring at her, with those stupid, innocent doe eyes, like nothing was wrong. She was so serene it was annoying, and Tally found herself almost glaring at her. Her patience was wearing thin. Very thin.

"Listen. Tell me where I am. No jokes," she added, narrowing her yees.

Beth tilted her head to the side, like a confused puppy. "Jokes...?"

"Yeah. All this crap about Amestris and Circle or whatever. Where am I, _really_?"

"I'm not lying to you, sweetie. I think you're a bit confused. Here." She rested her hand on Tally's shoulder. The teenager flinched and drew back immediately, but Beth went on effortlessly. "Lie down for a bit. Figure things out. I'll come talk to you in a bit, alright? Do you need anything?"

_Yes. I need to get home before I miss _Gossip Girl.

Tally shook her head.

Beth nodded and got up, her hair swishing behind her as she padded out the door, leaving Tally alone to drown in her thoughts.

* * *

><p><em>Beth was the first person I met in this world, and definitely the weirdest. (And yes, Ed, that includes you. Shocking, isn't it?)<em> _But I was sure that I always liked her, generally. Maybe it was the way she smelled, like cinnamon and ginger. Or how she was so calm that it could be annoying, but reassuring, because you felt like you could tell her anything and that it wouldn't faze her. She was nice, definitely. Always trying to help people._

_I wish I could be more like that sometimes._

* * *

><p>Tally was lying on her bed, counting the spots on the ceiling, of which there were many. She was trying to figure out what to do. Here she was, in a new world, with a weird woman. Not to mention, she was feeling sick, her stomach stirring uncomfortably. She grimaced, suddenly wondering what her family and friends were doing right now. Did they think she had run away? Was missing? Kidnapped?<p>

Dead?

Tally quickly shoved that thought out of her head, grimacing. She needed a solution. And if she wanted a solution, she needed to stay positive. The _last _thing she needed was to become all angsty and determine the worst. She pursed her lips determinedly and closed her eyes. Immediately, a thought jumped into her brain.

In grade seven, they had all been assigned a novel study with a book. She didn't remember the title, but she remembered the plot. A girl woke up in a totally unfamiliar environment, twenty years back in time. To survive, she had lied, pretending they had memory loss, so that her lack of knowledge concerning that time period would make sense. And then she realized that the people she was staying with were trying to perform time travel experiments. But once they realized that she had "amnesia", they let her go, giving her time to escape.

She doubted Beth was an evil time travel scientist, but hey, you never know!

She smiled in satisfaction at her lie. And, as if on cue, Beth glided in, her long hair up in a messy ponytail. She smiled brightly at Tally. "Feeling better?"

Tally nodded, fixing a smile on her face. "Much. Thanks for the drink."

"It was no problem, sweetie." She slid into a chair next to Tally's bed. "Are you ready to tell me more about yourself?"

The brunette nodded, sitting up straighter, folding her hands in her lap and putting her facial expression on 'serious mode'. "I suppose so."

"Start."

Tally took a deep breath, nervousness sitting in her stomach. "Idon'treme-"

"Slow down," Beth laughed.

"I ... I don't remember anything."

Beth's eyes widened. "Ah. So amnesia it is..."

Tally shrugged. "I dunno. I just don't remember my past. Where I came from, how I got here. That kind of thing."

Beth nodded. "Do you remember any other figures in your life?"

She hesitated before shaking her head. "No."

The blonde nodded again, eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "I really do think you should go see a doctor."

Tally shrugged. "I want to wait a few days."

"Why?"

"I ... I don't know. I don't like hospitals."

There was silence. One minute. Two minutes. Tally fidgeted with the end of her blanket, her head swimming with thoughts. But then Beth's smooth voice cut in, and the emotions made way for advice that could actually help.

"I'll make a deal with you." Tally looked into Beth's eyes. Chocolate met sapphire.

"A deal...?"

"A deal," she confirmed. "I'll give you a two days to let your memory heal. If it doesn't, then we're going to Central Hospital."

Tally thought this over. A couple of days. That would give her enough time to find more answers, which she desperately needed. She wondered how she had even made it this far without having a mental breakdown. Normally, the thought of too many questions and no answers made her awfully anxious. Right now, she was almost _calm._

Maybe Beth was contagious.

She nodded, her lips spreading in a small smile. "Alright."

Beth smiled back. "Welcome to Kriasin, Elphaba."

Tally almost laughed out loud.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahem. I really hope I didn't update too late. I've had a lot of crap going on lately, so it was a bit difficult to find some time to sit down and finish this thing. :) At least I did, right?<strong>

**Elphaba is from Wicked, the musical. You know, the green witch? Played by Idina Menzel? Sang 'For Good' with Glinda? Anyone? Hello?**

**...*coughs*...**

**Okay! Just to clear things up, Tally is not yet aware that she is not in 2009 anymore, or even on Earth. She just assumed that _Beth_is the confused one and that Kriasin is a small way from Winevra (Which, by the way, is not a real city in Ontario. At least, not that I know of...). But she's scared that she'll be wrong and whisked off to a mental hospital so she made up a story about amnesia. She plans on finding answers soon, don't worry. But she's not the smartest (though she DOES have her talents, I assure you) so progress might be a bit slow.**

**Oh! And, by the way, the little thing at the beginning was sort of a dream. It was a real dream, however, so all those events actually happened. Tally was just seeing them at a different time and way than the others who had witnessed it.**

**And was I the only one who shivered at that line: There's no sorrow quite like that of a sinner. It scared me, even. Don't you love it when that happens? When words and phrases so ... so ethereal and un-you-like come out of your head before you can stop them and you realize you don't _want _to stop them and ... Yeah. It's awesome.**

**I don't want to make this another long-ass author's note (I think my last one was over one thousand words ... o.o) so I'm just going to reply to your wonderful reviews. :)**

**AnimeVamp1997: You have never skipped class or gone to a party? :O Well, I'm probably going to get a bad rep for saying this, but skipping class is actually tons of fun. You just have to be extremely careful. The first time is the hardest, and it's smooth sailing after that. :) But, while the only video games I can stand are Harvest Moon and Final Fantasy, I'm a book nerd and otaku too! :D**

**The funny part about the Darcy statement is that I actually love her. :3 She's hilarious and probably the only one who, popularity-wise, could stand up to Darcy.**

**I think my little brother hates you forever about the cookie thing. xD He was like, "NOOOO! MINE!" I take such pleasure in his chagrin. :D**

**And trust me, that conversation scarred many people. *shudders* Ed + Chanel = WTF**

**Eclipsewings: My summary was the best? :O God, all these compliments on the summary make me so happy it's hilarious. I have a severe case of summary-paranoia so compliments are awesome. And thank you so much for those kind words on my writing. I think I'm glowing ... :3 And none of your reviews were crappy. I liked them. And I love Justin, too! The only reason people always mistaken him and Tally for being siblings/in a relationship is because he hasn't come out about his sexuality yet.**

**SweetSirendipity: Aha. I'm sure tons of baby penguins are grateful for you guys. :) You saved fifteen of them! Imagine how many more you could help. o.o It's unreal.**

**I'm glad my story made you think and sounded professional. I was aiming for that. And I agree with Maddie being annoying. She's my least favorite OC. Darcy is a bitch, yes, but so is Tally. They should make some sort of bitch club or something. Without Maddie. It's a bitch club, not an annoying bitch club. :P**

**TheWaffleAlchemist: Ohh! Awesome username! :) Thank you so much for your kind words. I honestly love how you notice these little things I stick in here and there, things some may just look past. And as for Darcy, I loved writing her, so I'll be putting in tons of Darcy-info during this fanfiction. And, well, I updated, so here. :P**

**Livluvdie101: Well, we _are _in Amestris now, so I do hope your head in still intact. A murder is not something I would like to have on my conscience. :3 And this chapter is much shorter than I hoped it would be (sorry for that!) so I hope this is okay. :) The future chapters will, most likely, be medium-long or medium-short. I'm not really one to make extremely short chapters. :D**

**Peter the Otaku: Tally _is _awesome! Justin _is _awesomer! But I wasn't expecting the last one. :P Thank you so much! This made me smile really big. Like, one of those huuuuge grins! Like ... I went from :) to :D ! I hope you're not dead right now. o.o That wouldn't be good. Not good at all...**

**And I must admit, my sense of humor is pretty badass. ;D That is one thing I can definitely brag about. And if your friends and you have conversations about penises, like my friends, then GO YOU! :D**

**Thank you for your sweet words!**

**Kiki on The Momo Tree: You just got into Fullmetal Alchemist? Aw, hell yea! I recommend you completely submerse yourself in it. It's amazing. :) Legendary, really. And thank you for the compliments!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alert and read my story! And thank you to everyone who alerted and favorited me! Because that makes me happy. :)**

**Every time you review, Kurt and Blaine kiss. That's fifteen kisses so far. So once we get to one hundred kisses, I'm going to start planning a huge ass fluff scene for you all! Because who doesn't like fluff?**


	4. Of Gardening, Fake Names, and Nightmares

_You know, I think I eventually got used_ _to living with Beth in the few days I stayed there. And I never felt uncomfortable there. I mean, she obviously wasn't a rapist or a pedophile. She _helped_ me. She _understood_ me. Honestly, if I had to choose between living with my mother and living with Beth, I'd pick the latter._

_You could tell Beth anything, and she wouldn't care. I was tempted to go up to her and say everything I was afraid to tell my mother:_

_"I cheat, lie and steal everyday."_

_"I like girls the way I do boys but I can't tell anyone because I'm afraid of hitting social bottom."_

_"I don't remember my dad at all."_

_But I didn't. I wasn't ready. I know, I know. It's stupid. But it happens to me so much. I end up getting attached to people I barely know because they don't know me or any of my secrets. I end up wanting to be like the people I hate. Like Darcy, for instance. I hate her, but she's so pretty and popular and has everything under control. I want to be like her. And I'm supposed to love and look up to my mother. But I don't want to be anything like her. Hell, I'm _scared _of ending up like her, alone and close-minded._

_I just want someone to care. And Beth seemed to be the one person who could._

_Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to tell her, it was too late._

* * *

><p>Tally had been at Beth's house for over three days before it seemed that Beth had forgotten all traces of their previous deal. She never mentioned it or asked Tally about it. In fact, Beth observed the young girl silently. She talked and smiled and laughed with her. But there was something odd about 'Elphaba Smith'. There really was.<p>

The first part was her name.

Elphaba Smith was not a normal name, even in Amestris, where there were quiet a few odd names. Beth had met plenty of weird-named people, including one unfortunate individual dubbed, "Lance Dickshit." Even then, she had to stop herself from laughing. And though Elphaba was not as weird a name as Dickshit, it was still odd. And Beth had one of her feelings, the one that told her that Elphaba was lying. Her feelings were always right.

And that wasn't all. Her accent was slightly different, her t's and k's crisper and more sharp. She was loud, too, and tall for her age of fifteen. Whenever she got upset or angry, she would mutter under her breath, using words in a language that Beth was not aware of.

To be honest, the girl was a bit ... intimidating. She looked people straight in the eye when she talked, and was loud and eccentric. When Beth had suggested she change into something 'nicer', the teenager had whipped her head around and demanded to know what was wrong with her outfit (which was the oddest outfit she had ever seen) when, in reality, Beth just meant 'comfortable' by 'nicer'.

Elphaba was too sensitive for someone who lived in Amestris. With the war, everyone had learned to keep a hard shell and focus on _life. _A girl like Elphaba, a girl who fretted over clothes and hair and makeup, well, that was like a fish swimming in the desert sand.

But Beth Hamilton was not one to intrude in other peoples' business. She understood that whatever the young girl wanted to hide had a story and a reason behind it. She may choose to share that with her soon, but if she didn't, then Beth didn't want to be the one to force her. Because that accomplished nothing except for tearing their relationship apart, even though they didn't really have a big one in the first place.

But that didn't mean she wasn't curious.

Beth shook her head, smiling slightly. She was getting too interested in this one person. It didn't happen much, her getting intrigued by someone. But Elphaba was an interesting person. A very odd person, a bit creepy, but very interesting, all the same. At this particular moment - 12:53 PM - she was sleeping soundly. Beth sighed. Elphaba was a very cranky person in the mornings, as Beth had realized on her first morning with the girl. She had attempted to wake her up, and her response was to mutter, "BITCH, LEAVE ME ALONE!" and throw a pillow at her. And then she had gotten up, mumbled a sorry, and walked into two walls on her way to the bathroom.

Now, Beth lightly poked her shoulder. No reaction. She nudged her lightly. The girl stirred, muttering something about killer tomatoes.

"Elphaba, it's time to wake up..."

"Dylan, I love you, too..."

Beth raised an eyebrow quizzically at this statement.

"No..." Elphaba's lips pursed slightly in her sleep, and she turned on her side. "Darcy, I'm going to eat you..."

Beth frowned. "Elphaba?" She shook the girl's shoulder. All of a sudden, her eyes shot open. They blinked at her sleepily. "Whatsit...?

"It's time to get up."

"I don't want to..."

Beth smiled softly. "I want to show you my garden."

Elphaba blinked at her curiously. She mounted herself on her elbows. "Garden?"

The blonde nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind one heavily pierced ear. She gestured to the clothing that she had laid on the chair across the room. "Get dressed and come downstairs, alright?"

Elphaba nodded. Beth gave her another warm smile before getting up and leaving the room.

* * *

><p>The dress was them most disgusting dress Tally had ever seen. It was <em>beige <em>for one thing, which was anything _but_ her color. And it flattered in all the wrong places: her chest, which was almost flat, thanks to all the swimming she did. Her feet, which were too big, and her hips, which she had always disliked because they were a bit too wide for her liking.

The dress was long sleeved, too. And she had a strict rule against long-sleeved dresses. Especially ones with flat knee-length skirts. She pursed her lips. She had showered earlier, and her hair looked hideous, curling wildly. _Note to self: Ask Beth for a straightener._

She huffed, pulling at it in different places, trying to make it look decent. But her efforts were to no avail. It was still ugly. She felt quite un-pretty today. Her hair was curly, she had no makeup, her dress was just awful, she felt sick and tired, not to mention she was in a weird, unfamiliar place.

"Stupid life!" she hissed, tossing Beth's wooden comb across the room. She whipped hair up into a messy bun and stomped outside, muttering in French under her breath. This sucked. This really, really sucked.

Of course, Beth was contently humming and cooking something in the kitchen while Tally's world fell apart. Okay, maybe not fell apart. But it was close. Extremely close, actually.

She plopped into a seat at the table and immediately started her drumming her long fingers on the chestnut-colored wood of the table. She had always been a very fidgety girl.

"Good morning," Beth chirped, not even turning from the pan.

"Hi..." Tally mumbled, putting her chin in her hands and sighing through her nose.

"How are you?"

_Shitty. _"I'm okay." She yawned. "You?"

"I'm actually quite well this morning, thank you."

Ever so polite, Beth was. Their conversation had been reduced to crispy chatter, inquiries about the weather and comments about the little boring snippets of life no one paid attention to. Least of all Tally Kingston.

Soon, a plate of steaming scrambled eggs lay in front of her. Her mouth began to water, against her will. She tried to push away to urge to indulge in the buttery yellow eggs. She knew that whatever she ate would most likely come right back up. Her stomach felt awfully queasy. Besides, she hadn't had scrambled eggs in forever.

"You look hungry," Beth said, eyeing the teen with amusement, who was gazing at the eggs with a ravenous look in her eyes.

"A bit..." she said. Her stomach growled, begging for a bite.

Beth chuckled, pushing the plate closer to Tally. The girl flinched, eyeing it cautiously.

"Eat it," the blonde urged. "It won't hurt."

After what seemed like forever, when Beth was halfway done with her meal, Tally picked up the fork. She carefully speared a bit of eggs. Lifting the fork, she stared at it for a couple of seconds before carefully putting it into her mouth. She chewed it slowly and then swallowed.

Within seconds, her plate was cleaned, and she gulped, trying to keep it all down.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Beth smiled.

Tally shook her head. It tasted good, yes. In fact, more than good. Amazing, even.

But she hadn't had eggs in so long that she felt weird, eating them. They felt foreign and plain odd. She got up, stumbling a bit. It was sort of freaky, the way a plate of scrambled eggs could effect her so. She shook her head.

"Now, how about some gardening?" Beth asked. She already began to make her way to the back door, not waiting for an answer.

"Oh..." Tally said, trailing after her. "Right..."

Well, it was a delightful opportunity to ruin her ugly dress to the point where no one could call it real clothing anymore.

* * *

><p>Tally had never gardened before. Back in Winevra, she never found the time or the interest in watching plants grow. And her mom found it distracting, to plant them and water them and fertilize them and harvest them. They were simply too inconvenient and simple for the Kingston household.<p>

In fact, Tally hardly ever even went outside. She preferred the air conditioned atmosphere of shopping malls, or the secluded privacy of her room, which she called her studio, because all of her origami was done there. And because 'studio' sounded so much cooler than 'room'.

So it was no surprise that, outside, in her ugly dress, with the sun beating down on the back of her neck, she felt completely and utterly out of place. Already, tiny drops of perspiration gathered at her forehead, and she grimaced, wiping it with the back of her hand. As she walked over to where Beth was kneeling, her sandals kicked dirt up. She watched the particles sail up, up, before falling back to the ground. Her mood was even lower than they were.

It was a bit depressing, knowing that dirt was probably happier than her.

"Right here," Beth said, gesturing to the dirt, "is where the tomatoes are supposed to be growing. Unfortunately, they haven't really made any progress yet." She frowned at the soil, as if to ask why the tomatoes wouldn't grow.

She gave Tally a quick little tour of the vegetables. The brunette nearly fell asleep. Why did she need to know all this...? And why was Beth so excited over some stupid vegetables that hadn't even grown yet? She simply nodded, stiffling a yawn.

"And this is my flower garden."

Tally looked down. Her eyes immediately widened. Staring back at her were rows upon rows of roses, sunflowers, honeysuckle, and lavender, along with a bunch of flowers that she couldn't recognize. She swallowed. Even she had to admit, they were quite pretty.

"W-Wow..." she said. "It's ... They're really nice."

Beth's face lit up. "I'm glad you like them. They're my pride and joy." She bend down, a shovel in one hand, a watering can in the other. There were tiny packs of seeds lying against her cottage wall, and she handed one to Tally. The teenager studied the label; it read, 'Daisies'.

"I'll teach you how to plant them." Beth grabbed her own seeds.

The next half hour or so was surprising _fun._ Tally would never have imagined gardening with this stranger. She also didn't imagine ever kneeling in dirt, shoveling some aside, dropping seeds in, and using her bare hands to then cover them up safely, a blanket of soil tucking them into their nourishing bed. She smiling as she watered her seeds, obviously choosing to ignore her ruined manicure.

"You're doing very well," Beth said warmly, and Tally beamed at her.

The two gardened on their own for a bit, working quietly. A curl slipped out of Tally's bun, and she shoved it behind her ear. _I need a haircut,_she thought. _My hair is getting ridiculously long._

She felt at peace, there. With each seed she planted, each drop of water that soaked the dirt, each compliment from Beth, she felt energized. She completely forgot that she was with a stranger, in an unfamiliar place. She didn't recall that her friends and family were probably dying with worry, posting up pictures and contacting police stations. Perhaps she would make the newspaper? _Car Accident Leaves 'Dead' Girl's Body Missing. Girl Kidnapped By Blonde Hippie With Flair For Gardening._

She just focused on the flowers.

But then Beth had to go along and say it: "Your name's not Elphaba, is it?"

Her words stung Tally back into reality. She dropped the watering can. Some of its contents spilled onto her dress, but she didn't notice. Instead, she gaped at Beth. The blonde looked like she was unaware of Tally's shock, the way her scheme seemed to fall apart. She kept gardening, a small smile playing on her lips. Tally clenched her teeth, sending mental hate waves in her direction.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," she snapped. Not a bit of guilt hit her for swearing at Bambi. Maybe she deserved to be shot, just enough to sting.

But if Beth was hurt, she didn't show it. She looked up from her flowers and gave the brunette an incredulous look. "Then why so defensive...?"

Tally froze.

Oops.

"W-Well, I'm just a bit offended."

"Why?"

"Because ... Because you consider me a liar." She crossed her arms, smirking. _Ha!_

"I don't consi

der you a liar. There are many reasons you wouldn't want to share your real name with me."

God. It was hard to be her usual, bitchy self with understanding people around. And Beth knew this. Still, Tally was not one to give up. Beth would _not _win her over with silly tactics, such as kindness and being overly sweet. Not that those tactics were working. Not at all.

They just made her feel a bit guilty. Just a little bit.

She pursed her lips stubbornly, setting her shovel down and picking up the watering can. Beth stared at her for a second or two, generally observing, before she began speaking once again.

"You know, I once met someone like you."

_Really? _Tally thought. _How many other curly-haired fashion freaks are there? _She didn't say anything, but she hesitated, and Beth knew that she was listening.

"He actually ended up here randomly, just like you."

"Did he?" Tally gaped at the blonde. Now _that _was unexpected. Perhaps there were more false-amnesiacs here!

Beth nodded. "He and his brother got lost looking for a train station in the next town over. They ended up here, and I let them stay for a night. But it took a lot of convincing. He was stubborn. Very stubborn." She smiled wistfully at the memory, chuckling.

Tally shrugged. "Well, I'm not a guy."

Beth resisted the urge to facepalm. "That's not the point, sweetie. The thing is that I know, from that previous experience, that forcing you tell me your story will do nothing to help our bare minimum of a relationship. Then again, neither will the trip to the doctor's tomorrow." She eyed Tally carefully.

The brunette paled. "Wh-What?"

"Three days have gone. And I doubt your memory is back."

Tally gulped. "Um..."

"What scares you so much about the doctor, anyway?"

This was a very good question. Like some questions, this one had an answer.

When Tally was ten years old, her teacher had asked her why she wasn't making a Father's Day card. She had huffed and crossed her arms, then spat, "My dad is a bad dad. He never comes to see me." The teacher had frowned and left her alone after that. But watching the other kids cutting their cards and writing messages, their hands covered in glitter and glue, sparked a curiosity in Tally.

When she had gone home that day, she had marched up to her mom and demanded to know her dad was. Miranda Kingston had stiffened and was hesitant, but she then sat Tally down and explained the situation to her.

"Your father had a very dangerous disease, Tally. And I took him to the hospital. The doctors couldn't save him. He's dead, sweetheart. I'm sorry." She wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"Why didn't I see him?" Tally asked, surprised that he was not a 'bad daddy', like she had assumed he was all these years. "I wanted to! Did you hide him from me? Was he a secret daddy or something?"

Miranda sighed. "Tally, he died before you were born. But ..." she put her hand on Tally's. "God is keeping him safe. He is happy with God. And he looks down at smiles at you every day from the heavens."

"How do you know? Maybe he's not happy with God!"

"Tally!" Miranda gasped, eyes narrowing. "How on Earth could you say something like that? Your dad didn't believe in God. But God _does_ love him! He will forgive him for his sins!"

"You're stupid," Tally hissed. "Daddy doesn't like God. He loves me. God is just some stupid invisible man."

Miranda would have probably slapped her daughter if the young girl hadn't burst into tears and ran up to her room the second their conversation was over.

That was the thing; every time she visited a hospital, she would get a chill down her spine as she walked past each room, knowing that a patient was in there, in pain or dying, like her father had been. Sometimes, she would catch a patient with the same illness he had had (cancer) and she would stop breathing. And then she would have to run somewhere secluded, and breathe in and out, in and out. Because Tally Kingston didn't hyperventilate in public.

She hated hospitals.

For now, she just rolled her eyes, stabbing the dirt with her shovel. "I thought you were't going to make me tell you anything."

Beth blinked. "It was just a question, Elphie..."

"Yeah, well, I don't feel like answering."

They ended the evening in silence.

* * *

><p>The worst part about this world was the nightmares.<p>

It wasn't until the second day did they start. But when they did, they hit her hard. The second she had closed her eyes in that unfamiliar bed, they had attacked her, sweeping their dark tentacles around her mind and whispering words that made her cringe.

It was one of those repetitive dreams, the kind that appeared every night. At first, she had tried switching up her nightly routine a bit, adding in things that she heard would improve sleep habits. She took baths every night, drank a glass of warm milk, stretched. She even tried meditating once! But her inability to sit still for more than ten seconds proved that to be a false choice; she gave up after a minute of twitching, shaking, and fidgeting.

Yet, they still appeared.

The dream was relatively simple, but the message behind it was quite complex. It started out with a huge gate. It was tall, and a sort of coal-black color, and it was covered with a different design each time she 'visited' it. She only remembered one of the designs: it was a large tree with different clumps of leaves that held words in a language she did not recognize.

_She would stare at the gate for a few seconds, feeling completely numb. Blank. The first time the dream occurred, she had internally panicked and attempted to force herself to feeling something. Anything. She always felt some sort of emotion. Being blank made her feel like a white canvas, a blank sheet of paper, lifeless eyes._

_She would then shake her head, look around for a bit, and bite her lip. A few times, she would call out simple words like, "Hello?" or "Anyone there?" because she was freaking out and she was useless when she panicked._

_When she would receive no answer, she would just shrug and turn, ready to try and find a way out. And then - every fucking time she turned around - she would hear it._

_She wasn't sure what 'it' was, but she knew it wasn't a boy or a girl. She would whip around at it's strange way of saying "Hello" and stare at it. She wasn't sure how to describe it. It was small, definitely, and generally shaped like a human. And when it opened its mouth to speak, its even, straight teeth were the same white as its skin._

_"Wh-Who are you?" she would stammer, taking a step back._

_A malicious grin was sent to her. It send chills down her spine._

_"Who am I? I'm surprised you don't know, Tally Kingston."_

_She paled. "H-How do you know _my_ name?" Her fists clenched tightly when all it did was grin at her. "Give me a fucking answer!"_

_It frowned. "Well, you're obviously rude, aren't you?"_

_Tally took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Who ... Who are you?"_

_It looked thoughtful for a second. "Hmmm ... Well, that all depends on the beholder."_

_"The what?"_

_"Some call me God. Some call me Deity. All-Mighty. All-Powerful. I have many names. Although, I usually go by Truth."_

_"You're ... You're God...?" Tally was shaking by now. No, no, no. This is not happening. You don't exist. You're a fairy tale. A myth._

_"I am all. I am one. I am me. I am you." This time, its grin was malicious. As if it was enjoying her pain. Enjoying watching her stand there and shake, dignity gone, scared out of her mind._

_Tally closed her eyes, still taking her deep breaths. "Okay ... Okay ... Can you please send me to the exit?"_

_It let out a laugh, short and shrill. "Exit? There is only one way in here, and that's through the gate."_

_"Gate?" she turned to the gate, confusedly._

_It was beginning to open, creaking as it slowly gave way to ... nothing. Inside the gate was black, just black. She opened her mouth, about to ask where it lead to, when the strangest thing happened. In the darkness, little eyes opened up, thousands of them, different colors. Orbs in green, blue, brown, red, violet, even pink, were blinking at her. In the middle was one a big eye, a purple one. She had her hands over her mouth now, stomach jumping, backing up slowly._

_The figure grinned at her from behind. "Time to pay your toll, Tally Kingston."_

_And then little black arms snaked out from the gate, latching onto her own arms and legs, her torso and even her head. She struggled, flailing, doing all she could to free herself from their grasp._

_But as it pulled her into it's depths, all she could do was scream._

* * *

><p>Tally shot up in bed, her eyes as wide as quarters. Her skin had gone from it's normal olive tone to a ghostly pallid color. Her forehead was slick with perspiration, the tight grip on her blankets slipping from her sweaty palms. She gave a shaky sigh before hugging her knees to her chest and putting her head on her knees, her curls falling in a curtain around her face. A few frustration tears slipped out of her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly.<p>

That dream. That same fucking dream that haunted her every night. Oh, how she wished she could just shut it out. Cast it away somewhere where no one could ever find it, where it had no hope of ever coming back and attacking her with its constant terror.

Of course, there was no hope of this happening anytime soon. There was also no hope of her falling asleep again. Whenever she got The Dream, she would lie in bed for the rest of the night, only falling asleep a few hours before the sun rose and Beth started pestering her to get out of bed.

It was raining outside, the entire town of Kriasing soaked in a downpour that was obviously not planning on showing any mercy. Little raindrops hammered on her window, as if begging to be let in. There was not a creature in sight, as she noticed, looking outside. Once in a while, a little clap of thunder would sound, and she would flinch and whimper. She had always been scared of lightning.

Right now, she let out a short yawn before climbing out of bed. She took a few seconds to steady herself, blinking hard. Then, she glanced at the grandfather clock, hanging on the wall. It's constant ticking did nothing to soothe her when she noticed the time: 3:53 AM.

Tally tiptoed out of bed and out the door, closing it gently behind her. She then sighed, brushing her hair away from her forehead before making her way down the stairs, careful to be quiet. She felt quite ninja-like, sneaking around the house in the dark.

Ah! There it was, in clear sight. Her destination: the kitchen. Her master plan was to sneak a glass of warm milk up the stairs, where she would down it. There was no use staying up late, listening to nothing but her grumbling stomach. She smirked at her genius, walking towards the kitchen with light, airy steps.

Her plan would have gone perfectly smoothly...

If she had not run into Beth along the way.

The blonde was in the living room, calmly setting an intricately decorated mat on the floor. She looked up when she noticed Tally, and the young girl gave a little squeak of surprise. Beth, however, smiled. "Oh. Hello, Elphie. How are you?"

_"How are you?" _Like she had been walking down the stairs at a reasonable time, instead of four in the morning. Tally mentally rolled her eyes, knowing it was just typical Beth.

"I was just ... looking for milk."

"Milk?"

"I can't sleep. I thought milk may help. But, erm, what are you doing...?"

Beth smiled. "I always meditate before dawn. It's when the veil between the human world and the spiritual world is the thinnest."

Tally nodded. She opened her mouth to reply, when a rapt knocking cut her off. The two froze, listening for a few seconds. And there it was again, someone pounding on the front door. Tally's heart sank into her stomach. _Who the hell comes around at four in the morning?_

Beth was as calm as ever. "Now who could that be...?" she mused. "You don't mind checking the door, do you?"

Tally gulped. "Uh, um..."

"Don't worry. I'll be right here. If there's anything dangerous, just call."

She hesitated only a second before nodding, dazedly. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and turned around, beginning to make her way to the door. A couple steps away from the door, she cursed her decision. It could be some murderer or serial killer or rapist or pedophile or Barney the Dinosaur! Who knew? And, yet, she had agreed to throw herself in the path of this potentially dangerous creature. She took another breath, telling herself to suck it up, before running her fingers through her hair and throwing the door open...

...and coming face to face with two of the strangest creatures she had ever seen.

She caught sight of the shorter one, first. This one was small, at about five feet tall. She didn't notice much about the person, but she _did_catch a coat, red, like blood. And the creature was shaking, as well. No wonder, being out in the rain like this.

The other one was _much _taller, at least seven feet tall. It was adorned in _metal_, obviously being some sort of robot or machine. It loomed down at her silently and she briefly noticed that it was wearing a loincloth, like Tarzan.

And then, despite having no mouth, the armor started producing _noises._ And not just noises, but words! It was speaking in English, like a human, only with a voice of a ten year old, despite its size.

Tally simply gaped at it, eyes wide, shaking uncontrollably. _This evil robot is here to kill me! _she thought, panicking. It was still speaking, and the short one had joined in, now, muttering. She couldn't register any of their words, however. All she heard was the buzzing in her ears. She turned to the robot. Then the blonde. Then the robot. Then the blonde. Robot. Blonde. Robot. Blonde.

Then, her panic caught up with her body and she began to move, letting out a high pitched scream that startled the two into silence. Then, she slammed the door and bolted it shut, racing back to the living room, where Beth was eyeing her cautiously.

"Beth! Beth, oh my God, there are these weird boys at the door!"

The blonde's eyes widened, and she muttered, "_Shit._"

Tally was too shocked that Beth - Beth! - had _sworn _to do anything more than gaze at her weirdly before she was bombarded with questions.

"Did they try anything with you? Touch you? Were they attempting to force you into something?"

Tally blinked. "Um ... No."

Beth suddenly made the transition from frantic to calm. "Oh. Well, what did they look like? Were they big?"

"One was," Tally said. "The other was short and wearing some sort of long coat. The big one was a robot or machine or something! It was completely metal!"

As Tally launched into a description of the duo, Beth's eyes began to relax into a familiarity. Her shoulder slipped from their tense position into a much more natural-looking one, and a bemused smile played at her lips, much to Tally's confusion. And then, just as she was about to get to the scariest part (the armor talking with no mouth!), Beth did the weirdest thing one could have done in that situation.

She _laughed_.

And not just laughed. She didn't giggle prettily, or snort, or chuckle, using her hand to block the noise from escaping her mouth. No, Beth full out laughed. She burst into hysterics, clutching her sides, falling over onto the floor and just proceeded to confuse Tally. The teen simply glared at her, wondering how anyone could find this situation _funny._ Maybe Beth was one of those people who went into hysterics when they. Nonetheless, she crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently, as she waited for this odd scene to finally succumb to an end.

Soon, Beth's hysterics calmed to laughter. Then, the laughter calmed to giggles. The giggles turned into chuckles. The chuckles slipped into nothingness. And she stood up, dusting herself off, a few stray peels of laughter escaping her lips.

"What's so funny?" Tally demanded, stomping her foot indignantly. Though she was sure she didn't look too scary, in her nightgown and messy ponytail.

Beth just shook her head, smiling wistfully. She flew past Tally, making her way to the door. The teenager was immediately on her tails, shooting questions and protests. The blonde walked up to the door and unlocked it, opening it slowly. She peeked outside and was not surprised to see the shorter one crossing his arms and scowling.

"Hey! Let us in!" he demanded, hopping from one foot to another, making it look like he was expecting a particularly uncomfortable shit.

Tally shook her head. "Um, I don't think so! You could be some sort of pedophile!"

"A pedophile?" he hissed, giving her a look that clearly said, _Bitch, you _cannot _be serious._

Tally growled back, "Damn right, a pedophile! We don't know you! Go home!"

The armor piped in, with that same odd voice. "Erm, actually, we sort of _do _know you."

"Beth! They're stalker pedos!"

The blonde shook her head, flapping a hand up in the air to halt the pointless banter. The short one and Tally quickly shut up, staring at her. The armor shifted nervously.

Beth turned to the shorty with a warm smile. "Edward. What a wonderful surprise." The words sounded genuine in her mouth, instead of sarcastic, the way Tally expected them to.

The short boy - Edward - smiled a bit. "Yeah. Like old times."

Beth then turned to the armor. "And Alphonse. You still seem as lovely as ever." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the armor. Tally shivered, wondering how cold she must be.

But even worse was her confusion.

"Wait, wait, wait!" she said, looking around at the three. "You guys ... You guys _know _each other? Is this some sort of joke?"

Beth turned to Tally. "Do you remember in the garden? I told you that I had met a boy like you once?"

Tally nodded slowly. "Yes ... But ..." Then, her jaw dropped. "Wait ... This is the guy?" she turned to Beth, an eyebrow raised. "You said he had a brother!"

Alphonse stepped forward. "_I'm _his little brother," he confessed.

Tally looked from Alphonse to Edward, who was giving her a smug look. "B-But ... Little brother? He's, like, a midget and you're a gia-"

"Who're you calling so small you need a microscope to see him?" Ed ranted, making Tally squeak and back up.

"Quit yelling, idiot!" she said.

"Well, why don't you quit insulting people you don't even-"

"QUIET!"

The duo quit fighting long enough to stare at Beth, from which the uncharacteristic outburst had risen from. This night seemed to be full of surprises...

Beth turned to Alphonse. "Al, why are you two here?"

Al scratched the back of his metal head uncertainly. "Um, well, our train broke down. We were told to get off here. And it's raining and we have no place to stay, so..."

Beth smiled, stepping aside. "Come on in." Just like that. They were just invited in.

As the brothers rushed inside, Tally tried to register what had just happened. Beth had invited these two weirdos into the house. She had to spend a night with them. One of the brothers shared the name of a character from her least favorite book. And that same brother was a douche/dick/any-other-insult-she-could-think-of. Even now, he was currently busy sticking his tongue out at her. She stuck her tongue out right back, along with her middle finger.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know. I'm the world's worst updater. But I've just been super busy these days. Inspiration struck me and I've been focusing on my photography for a long time now, so I had to squeeze in my writing (fanfiction, short stories, poems, lots of original works) between school, trying to find a job, and homework. Not to mention, I've gotten into Skins recently, and I'm officially obsessed. (Chris Miles... 3) But I recently turned thirteen, and on my birthday, I requested my family fuck off and leave me with my stories. Hehehe. So I got a lot done then.<strong>

**But I'm still alive! And the fourth chapter is here! *cue the trumpets* I know I was super late and I'm really sorry.**

**I suppose I should now explain any confusing points in this chapter. To clear things up, no, Tally is not a lesbian. She's more sexually confused. Bisexual, perhaps? Which is odd, considering that I'm not planning on pairing her up with any girls for this story (Winry/Tally, anyone?) but I thought it may add some uniqueness to my story, seeing as I've never seen a bisexual female OC in this fandom before. Hehe.**

**Also, I honestly hate myself for all the dialogue in this. I think it could have gone a bit slower, developed a bit more, etc. But meh. I can't change it, because I'm in school, and my teacher will give me weird looks and swoop in, going, "Lia, how is your project going?" And then I open up my shit project and smile and go, "GREAT!" and she leaves me the fuck alone. ^_^ So redoing it would take quite long.**

**I was originally planning on having her meet the Elrics in the next chapter over, but I had one of my writer-all-nighters and wrote a lot of short stories. This came out of it, somehow.**

**Yeah, my creative process is confusing.**

**Oh. My. Gods. Twenty-six reviews? I swear, I love you guys! You're smothering me, really. *bashful blush and wave* You lovelies, you!**

**But seriously. Unless you're a fellow writer, you have _no _idea what this means to me! :) I'm really glad people are reading and liking my work. I haven't even gotten a flame yet! And that's, like, a new record for me! Yay! And not to mention all of my hits and story alerts and favorites! If I had all the Nutella in the world, I _still _couldn't explain how happy I am! ^_^ Thank you all!**

**Speaking of reviews, it's time for ... *drumroll* ... REVIEW REPLIES! *cheering***

**Let's get started:**

**Kiki on The Momo Tree: Aha! Yay! :) And Edo-Kun is here, so feel free to squeel/cheer/faint/clap/glomp/kidnap/any-other-activities-of-a-fangirlish-nature. Do tell your sister that I agree with her. I've only ever seen one guy on Earth that can pull of long hair and look damn fine, but the others look tacky. Unless they're in anime. Then they look, well, sort of hot. Some of them anyway. Even now, some long-haired anime guys freak me out. o.o Tally is relatable? Hurray! I was aiming for that, so it's awesome to know that I've reached my goal. :)**

**AnimeVamp1997: Hehe! Indeed, the best way to gain some lovely ol' fluff is to review! Which is what you did, so we are quite close to our goal of one hundred reviews, one hundred saved baby penguins, and one hundred Klisses. ^_^ And I completely agree with you with the If-I-Fell-Into-Amestris thing. I'd probably cry and then stop crying and go see if I can possibly have a life in this world. :) BTW, your rock isn't _that _big, if you haven't seen Wicked, because I only know two people out of, like, five hundred, in my school that have even heard of it. And one who's seen it in Gershwin Theatre! *dreamy look***

**Hmmm ... Oh my Gods, she does, doesn't she? That's odd. I never really related the two, but it makes sense! Coolio! And I've updated now, so I do hope you're happy. Hehe. ^_^**

**Storygirl11: Aha. Yup. She picked, like, the rarest name on the planet, not to mention the oddest. I doubt anyone will ever take her seriously with this name. As for whether she'll keep it or not ... you'll see... *evil maniac look***

**Too lazy to log in: Woah! More Luna-lovers! Hell yeah! Elphaba _is _pretty funny. ^_^**

**Oh, Tally definitely has her talents outside of the beauty department. They shall be revealed soon. And by soon, I don't mean in, like, chapter fifty. xD I mean damn soon. Though maybe not the fifth chapter. Perhaps the sixth ... or seventh ... *goes into planning mode***

**Eclipsewings:: Aha. I was about to have her meet Winry first, but I changed my mind. I don't know why. o.O Oh, the mind of an authoress...**

**Yeah, Tally isn't the smartest, really. A bit slow. But she has fabulous taste in names! Hehe. And perhaps she finds Gossip Girl a good enough excuse to forget death and possible doom. :P Twenty minutes, eh? I give you credit. I would last one second before having a panic attack.**

**ChibitaliaIzzy: Woot! Another Maddi-hater! Darcy _is _a bitch, but she isn't _that _annoying. Just mean. Justin is quite fucking fantastic, if I do say so myself. He's my favorite male OC so far, out of all the ones I've created.**

**I do sympathize with her mother. The house must be awfully quiet without young Tally Kingston to spice it up/fight every day. Thank you so much for the compliments! ^_^**

**TheWaffleAlchemist: Well, you have to admit, your username is legendary! Imagine if you enrolled in the military as an alchemist. "Beware the wrath of ... THE WAFFLE ALCHEMIST!" Gods, those villains would be Doomed with a capital 'D'.**

**Yay! Beth/Luna union!**

**Well, here you have it! More of Tally's story. :3 Quite interesting, eh? Hehehe. And I'm glad you find her as an Anti-Sue. I have Mary-Sue Paranoia, along with Summary Paranoia and Story Speed Paranoia.**

**Rokuchuchu: Dude. What is it with my reviewers and their amazing usernames? xD And yay! We _do _have the same death theory! That's awesome! Though my theory has a lot of different layers and crazy shit like that. Aha.**

**LeFay Strent: Oh! It's you! *bows down* Hehe, just joking. But, really, I'm glad my comment made you happy, because your reviews made _me _happy. Hehe. Equivalent exchange! And high five for families thinking we're insane! My family already knows me as "that crazy chick", as expected. :P**

**Oh, thank you so much for your kind words. :) I always tend to worry about my stories, so reassurances ensure that I can breathe okay. ^_^**

**Hon, most of the most amazing stories I've read have the OCs meeting the characters soon. Besides, I like it. I love the characters, so seeing how the OC interacts gives us an earlier opinion of what we think of this communication exchange.**

**Ooh! I love your username, too! It reminds me of Morgan LeFay. Hehe. :P**

**And those are the lovelies that reviewed! Thank you so much for all the people that read, reviewed, favorited, or alerted! You guys keep me happy! :D**

**Do you know that this means? It means that we have saved twenty-six penguins, that Kurt and Blaine have kissed twenty-six times, and that we are seventy four reviews away from the first big fluff scene! Isn't that awesome? :) And it's all thanks to you guys!**

**So keep reviewing! xD And, BTW, I adore constructive criticism, so if you have any suggestions or requests, don't be shy! ^_^**

**This is Lia, signing out!**

**Well, not literally, but...**

**You get my drift.**


	5. Of Fake Pedos, Bacon, and Arguments

_This is where all the shit begins. Brace yourselves. Grab tissues, towels, teddy bears, vibrators, whatever the hell you need. Because, as much as I dislike admitting it, when the Elric brothers came alone, the ride _really _went wild._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_OH, MY GOD! THAT SOUNDS SO WRONG! EW! EW, EW, EW! BAD IMAGES! GO AWAY!_

* * *

><p>Tally tried. Oh, God, she tried. She closed her eyes. She tossed and turned. Hell, she even grabbed an extra pillow and hugged it to her chest like it was her old teddy bear, Waffle (she was five when she named him, and, no, it wasn't like she still slept with it ... no, of course not ... ahem...). But nothing she did worked. No amount of water chased away her insomnia. Nothing helped. She was trapped in her own silence.<p>

So she decided to break it.

She yawned, glancing at the clock. Seven o'clock. That was about two hours spent trying to sleep and getting nothing done in the process. An utter waste of time, really.

Judging by her less-than-accurate calculations, today was probably Monday. Or Tuesday. She winced; she was obviously missing a lot of school. And the dance classes her mother made her attend, which she would never admit she loved. The school, she didn't mind so much.

Her friends, of course, she did.

Tally wondered how Justin would react to her disappearance. Knowing him, he'd freak out. Probably get a whole search party together, co-lead by Maddie. Darcy may even be happy, since she was a stupid bitch. Perhaps Dylan would help find her! And then they could make out.

But for now, things were not looking up.

Heaving a deep sigh, Tally managed to crawl out of bed. She ran a hand through her curls, before throwing them into a ponytail. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days. But since most of her activities involved people that didn't care how she looked and/or tasks that caused hair to get in the way, it was her only option.

Beth had left clothes for her, again. They weren't what she liked, but they were _so _much better than that God-awful dress, so she slipped them on. She shirt had a sort of hood, so she flicked it over her head, shivering. At least it kept her neck warm. And it was long and thick, in a pretty blue color. She sighed contently at the sudden warmth and made her way out into the hall and down the stairs.

She was surprised to see that Beth wasn't there. Whenever she woke up in the middle of the night and went to the kitchen for a glass of milk or water, she would usually find her in the living room, meditating. But she probably needed her sleep, too, so that was probably why she wasn't around. Not that Tally minded, really. Being alone was one of the few ways she could think without interruptions. Normally, she disliked heavy thinking; it brought her to thoughts that she would just _love _to bury and forget forever. But today seemed like the perfect time to organize her thoughts. Currently, they were more tangled than her Monday bedhead.

Tally was one of those odd people that liked to clean when she wanted time to think or just be alone. So she grabbed a washcloth from the kitchen, wet it, and began to wipe down the counters, humming a Disney song under her breath.

She still had absolutely no idea what day it was, and how she was going to get home. But according to Beth, Central was like New York City: the center of everything. So she would _obviously _get a chance to ask for a map, some directions, or head to a police station and inquire about her location, and how far her hometown was from it. They would understand ... hopefully.

Of course, then there was the trouble of having to get to Central. Maybe she could just pretend to go along to the doctor and ditch the idea at Central! And she could find a police station or a map or whatever to get back home.

Tally allowed herself a smile at her genius idea. "I'm a genius!" she sang to herself. "It's perfect!"

"What is?"

This new voice startled Tally to an impressive degree. She let out a high pitched shriek and whipped around. "Beth! Uh, I mean- ..."

She was face-to-face with the same robot from yesterday. Up close and in daylight, he looked even bigger and more intimidating than the night before. She swallowed down a gulp and gave him a strained smile. "Hi."

The robot extended a hand. "I'm Alphonse."

Tally nodded. The name sounded old-fashioned, like it was from one of those classic books that girls like Darcy loved. "I'm Tall- Elphaba. Call me Elphie," she said uncertainly, giving him yet another once-over.

He nodded, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "Are you Beth's daughter?"

"What?" She blinked. "Nope. I'm her ... Well, I'm sort of a friend. In a way. She took me in."

"She took you in?"

She nodded again, trying to act nonchalant. "Yeah. I, er, sort of got lost. Sort of."

Alphonse murmured an, "Okay."

There was an awkward silence. Tally opened her mouth, ready to say something stupid, when Beth swooped in, tucking her hair into a bun. She smiled when she saw the two teenagers standing together in the kitchen; perhaps introductions weren't necessary after all!

"Elphie, Alphonse. I see you've met?" She cocked her head to the side.

Alphonse spoke: "Yeah. We have." Tally nodded in agreement.

Beth's smile grew bigger. "I've known Alphonse for a bit, Tally. He's a real good boy."

Tally gave another strained smile. "Really? Wow."

If armors could blush, Al did.

"Is your brother up yet, Alphonse?" Beth inquired.

Tally resisted the urge to groan. Up until now, she had forgotten about the annoying blonde kid from the night before. The thought of him made her want to go jump in a ditch. She resisted, however, and curled her fingers up into fists instead.

Al shook his head. "Not yet. He likes to sleep."

Beth gave a sigh, though it didn't sound like she was particularly annoyed. "Still the same?"

"Still the same."

"Well, you'd better wake him up. The next train leaves in an hour. You know how he'll get if he misses it."

Alphonse chuckled. "Tell me about it."

Tally waited until he had left before turning to Beth. "What's with the costume?"

Beth's brows furrowed. "Costume?"

"The weird robot costume thingy," she said. "Why's he wearing it? Doesn't it get hot?"

Something flashed in Beth's eyes for a moment, disappearing too fast for Tally to notice what it was, exactly. Beth gave a little shrug. "It's not our business to pry into their lives, Elphie. They'll tell us when they wish. _If _they wish."

The brunette simply blinked at the older woman, who gave a wan smile before disappearing into the kitchen. Why such a cryptic answer to such a simple question? She had a _right _to know, dammit, because these strange boys were staying with her currently.

They could still be pedos!

She shoved that thought of her head immediately before turning to go help Beth in the kitchen, seeing as she had nothing else to do. _Well, _she thought. _I'll find out myself! _

She was never one to obey others anyway.

* * *

><p>Edward Elric did not particularly enjoy mornings.<p>

It was just something about having to drag himself out of the warm, comfortable depths of his bed for yet _another _day of torturous military, missions that seemed to end in nothing, and false leads. That kind of weight tended to drag on one's shoulders after a bit of time. And a bit of time it had been. Almost four years, to be exact.

Nonetheless, the blonde summoned his strength and managed to sit up in bed, blinking dazedly at his surroundings. Last night's events came back in a flash: arriving at Beth's, soaked to the bone, having to deal with some bratty girl - who's name he had completely forgotten - and then stumbling into bed, exhausted.

Yeah, last night didn't go well at all.

_Click. Creeeeeeeaaaaaaak._

He looked up in time to see Alphonse tiptoe in, obviously thinking he was still asleep. But when Al noticed Ed, watching him, he straightened, walking more normally. "Oh! You're awake?"

"Yeah," Ed gave a little sigh. "Back where we started, huh?"

Back when they had gone on one of their first missions (Edward had been around thirteen, and Alphonse was probably eleven or so.), they had been awaiting their destination impatiently. So it was only _natural _that Ed became _furious_ once the train conductor had announced the train was experiencing 'technical difficulties' and that passengers were encouraged to either walk or find another way to get to their destination. Ed had insisted they walk, until a storm had started brewing ("Oh, just perfect!" he had snarled.), complete with lightning and sheets of rain.

Al had suggested they go look for a place to stay for the night. But they quickly realized that Kriasin was so small, it didn't even have its own inn. Ed was about to sarcastically suggest they make camp under a bridge when Al noticed Beth's house, the only place with the light on inside. After some convincing, he dragged Ed to it, knocked on the door, and Beth welcomed them with open arms.

But apparently, she took in many strangers, because now there was a girl staying here. And he wasn't a fan of her. She seemed quite annoying, to say the least.

However, now was not the time to think about her. Now was the time to, as his stomach told him, find some food.

"I'm hungry," Ed declared.

Al sighed. "Surprise, surprise."

"What?" The blonde looked offended. "A boy's gotta eat!"

Alphonse smiled. "Well, I think Beth's making bacon."

Ed's head perked up at the word 'bacon'. "Yes!" He hopped off the bed, all signs of fatigue gone and replaced with hunger. "Let's go get some!"

And off they went, because even the Philosopher's Stone could be put on a tiny hiatus for bacon.

* * *

><p>Tally was not a very patient girl. And she very nervous, as well. Because no matter how frustrating one could be and no matter how much she tried to convince herself she could ignore them, she never did well with people she disliked. And she disliked the blonde. Al was okay, but he seemed too quiet to make friends with.<p>

She didn't want to be stuck with Beth all day. Because as nice as she was, Tally wanted nothing more than to meet someone _her _age. And so she made a silent pact to attempt and make friends with the brothers, to kill off some of her boredom. So she took a seat at the dinner table and swung her legs underneath.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Bacon. Toast."

Tally frowned, craving some of the eggs she had had yesterday. Then again, one couldn't always expect to get what they wanted; she had learned this a long time ago.

The truth hurt.

So she sat at the table, thinking over today's possible events (ignoring the voice in her head that chanted, "Doctor, doctor..."). Her fingers immediately began gently drumming, an old habit she had never really outgrown.

Down the hallway, from the room she had heard the two brothers stumble into yesterday, she heard footsteps, voices and clangs. Tally frowned, recalling the way the blonde had snapped at her yesterday (it wasn't _that _unreasonable to assume they were rapists!), and the way they had gotten off to such a horrible start. But, honestly, they may be the only teenagers she would get to see for a while. She craved social interaction with those her age.

So she made a silent pact. She swore to give them a second chance, and see how that ended up. Because everyone deserved a second chance, right?

Beth delivered a plateful of bacon and two pieces of toast, slathered with butter. Tally wrinkled her nose it. She wasn't very hungry this morning, so she simply picked at her food, occasionally eating. Beth didn't seem to notice, as she ate and made conversation as if nothing was wrong at all.

_Clang. Clang._

The teen lifted her head lazily. When she caught sight of Alphonse and his brother - Eddy, Eyore, Enright? -, she straightened, pasting a smile on her face, eager to make a good-

"Food!"

...impression.

The smaller of the two brother immediately raced over to the table. He began piling food onto his plate, bacon mostly. He took a seat across from Tally, who looked on in disgust (and a bit of awe) as he shoveled forkful after forkful of bacon in his mouth.

"That's really bad for you," she couldn't help but point out.

Ed raised an eyebrow, pausing from his meal to give her a quizzical look.

"So much bacon at once, I mean. The salt level is super high; you'll get a stomach ache."

"And I care because..."

She didn't have an answer to that, so she simply looked down at her lap, cursing her inability to make friends with this boy. Edward just gave her a smug look as he continued to eat. Al, on the other hand, took a seat next to his brother. "Be nice, Ed."

Ed snorted.

Beth was watching the teenagers carefully. "So, Edward, Alphonse," she started, attempting to break the awkward silence that had followed Tally's less-than-successful attempt at making friends. "How have you guys been?"

Ed shrugged. "Good. I mean, everything's been pretty okay. I think we're doing good."

Beth smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Where are you headed now?"

"A couple towns over: Grodowne," Al said.

Beth nodded. She gave Tally a pointed look. "I heard Grodowne is especially known for their superb mecidal care."

Tally looked up, eyes wide. _No, no, no, no, no..._

"That's sort of why we're going. Their libraries contain a lot of useful information that can help us," Alphonse explained.

Beth's eyes were still on Tally, who was now nervously biting her nails. She looked quite anxious.

"You know," Beth continued, "Elphie here needs a doctor."

Two pairs of heads swivelled to face the brunette. She laughed nervously. "Ahahaha! Me? Doctor? Pfft! I'm doing great!" She did a little you-spoil-me hand gesture, nearly knocking over her glass of milk. Luckily, Al caught in time, setting it upright. Tally turned red. Ed snort-giggled. Beth sighed.

"It's for her memory loss issue," she explained.

Edward swallowed a mouthful of toast. "What? Memory loss?" He looked over at the girl beside him, who seemed to be gnawing her fingernails off with a scary ferocity.

Beth nodded. "It's a long story, but she seems to have forgotten about her past. Where she came from, her friends, family. All of it."

_I come from Winevra, Ontario, _Tally thought quietly. _My best friends are Justin McLarson and Madison Hamming. Darcy Robertson is a bitch. My future husband is named Dylan Gregory. I'll remember. I'll remember. I'll-_

"Elphaba?"

Tally's head shot up. Her ears were still buzzing, to the point where she ignored Ed's chuckle at her name. She shook her head and the noise faded instantly. She forced a smile. "Hm?"

"Do you want to get better?"

_No. _"Y-Yeah!"

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to get over your fears and-"

"Wait a minute!" Edward interrupted. "You're scared of the _doctor_?"

Tally turned even redder. "N-No! I mean, yes! I mean, kind of! I mean..."

But the blonde was already in hysterics. Tally crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Shut up, you ... you little thing!"

At the 'l' word, Edward was already launching into another rant. Beth and Alphonse watched on helplessly as the two fought, not quite knowing what to do.

"Is he always like this...?" Beth asked.

Al could only nod.

* * *

><p>It was only later when Tally went to go take a shower did Beth get time to discuss her idea with the Elric brothers. She had insisted they stay for a cup of tea before they left and Al had wholeheartedly agreed, while Ed mumbled an agreement.<p>

Alphonse, as Beth noted, hadn't eaten during breakfast. So when he turned down a cup of tea and some of Beth's homestyle buscuits, her curiosity flared to borderline abnormal degrees. Luckily, she managed to calm it down by repeatedly telling herself not to pry. She took a seat across from the two boys, handing Edward his tea and setting her own mug in front of her. "I'm glad things are going good with you two," she said, offering a smile. "And I don't mean to interfere with personal business, but I have a favor to ask.

Ed sat up straighter, staring at her confusedly. Al, on the other hand, folded his hands in his lap and urged her to go on. "What is it, Beth?"

The blonde took a deep breath. "I want you to take Elphie to the hospital in Grodowne."

There was a split second silence. Beth held her breath and watched the brothers for a reaction, a twitch, anything. Al shifted uncomfortably and got ready to say something, but he was cut off by his brother. "NO!"

Alphonse cast a long look at Edward. "Brother, don't be so rude. Beth's helped us a lot. The least we can do is repay with a small favor."

"But ... But she's so ... She'll slow us down! I don't wanna be stuck with her!"

"It's only for a bit, Edward," Beth reasoned. "Once you get to know her, you'll realize she's a lovely girl."

Ed thought of the curly haired menace that had tried to scare him from his bacon with petty medical logic. "But-"

"Edward, please." Her eyes widened and she got into a Winry-like begging expression. Ed immediately swallowed and opened his mouth, ready to deliver another final 'No', when another image hit him: him and his brother, soaking wet, stumbling to Beth's house in the middle of a dreary night. She took them in without a word, without a protest, without a question. She had given them shelter, food, and companionship for two days, while the train was being repaired. Without her, they would have been forced to share a bridge with some unfortunate troll or something. And they never would have gotten their first mission done on time, because she convinced them to stay and wait for the train instead of walk (which would have taken days). That way, they got their first tough mission completed in record time. This impressed the Fuhrer himself enough to let them go on a search for an important alchemist who, coincidentally, had a connection to the stone that jump-started their search for the Philosopher's Stone.

In a way, Beth was partially responsible for them being as far as they were now. It _was _the least they could do...

Reluctantly, Ed let out a small sigh. "Fine ... We'll do it..."

Beth smiled gratefully, barely hiding the mischevious spark in her eyes. "I knew you'd say yes."

* * *

><p>"You can't do this to me!"<p>

"Elphie, it's for the best!"

"I don't want to! The doctor is bad enough, but I don't want to have to go with them!"

"It's the only way."

"Why don't _you _take me?"

Beth gave a little sigh. "We went over this, remember? I have to make a few remedies for my clients. They're important. I cannot afford to be late."

"Really, I don't mind the a-amnesia thing!" Tally insisted. "I'm perfectly happy like this!" Her stomach clenched; since when did she become such a liar? Sure, she had her memory, but she was not, at all, happy here.

The older woman studied Tally carefully. "You're lying," she stated flatly. "You've been lying since you got here, haven't you? About what happened to you, your name, your background. All of it." The second the words left her mouth, she half wanted to take them back. She never liked prying; it was a horrible way to build trust. But on the other hand, she disliked liars even more.

"You're wrong-"

"I'm not, Elphie. I know it."

Tally froze, her heart pounding against her chest. How did Beth possible have _any _clue as to where she came from, what had happened to her, or even what her name was? Did she talk in her sleep? Was she _that _easy to read? As far as she used to be concerned, she was a pretty good liar and a good actress.

Apparently not.

Tally opened her mouth, ready to deny those claims. But before a word could escape her lips, Beth reached forward and rested two hands on her shoulders leaning to stare into Tally's eyes with her own.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to say that." She broke off for a second, looking thoughtful. "When you are ready to show me who lies beneath Elphaba Smith, I'll listen. Alright?"

Tally nodded, trying not to spill everything. Exactly what had happened, her confusion, her fear, right then and there. But she couldn't. Because as loving and accepting as Beth claimed to be, Tally knew that even _she _wouldn't accept her truth as true. And Tally didn't blame her; who _would _believe her, really? Her story was as far-fetched as stories came, like something out of a fairy tale.

And she had the feeling this fairy tale wouldn't be ending happily.

So she just nodded.

Beth released her from her hold, smiling gently. "I'll go inform Edward and Alphonse you're ready." She turned and began to walk out, her long hair swishing behind her.

And before she knew what was happening, Tally blurted, "Wait!"

Beth turned, eyes curious. "Yes...?"

Tally swallowed hard. "Tally Kingston."

Beth's eyebrows knitted. "I beg your pardon...?"

She was all in. Sort of. "My name isn't Elphaba Smith. My name is Tally Kingston."

There was silence. It probably lasted less than a minute, but Tally held her breath, not sure if her information would be taken seriously or brushed off as yet another lie. She wasn't sure which she expected. Both scared her. She would be either pushed away or taken in. And she didn't want to get attached; that always ended in pain. But being brushed off would be painful, as well.

Imagine her surprise, then, when Beth reached forward, pulling the young girl into a hug. Tally hesitated for just a second before returning it. When she pulled away, she was blinking back tears. Not because she was happy, but because she was a bit upset, genuinely. She was such a liar, keeping so many secrets, and she was being embraced for just telling a simple truth. She vaguely wondered what would happen if she told the entire truth, right now. Beth would probably jump her bones or something.

"I'm proud of you, El-Tally. It can be hard telling the truth," she said.

Tally snickered inwardly. _You have no idea._

"Now, let's go. We don't want to keep the doctor waiting."

* * *

><p>Outside, Tally found Alphonse and Edward waiting, both in varying positions. Ed was leaning against the wall, looking quite pissed, with furrowed eyebrows and scowling lips. Al was sitting, pulling at his fingers. <em>Probably thinking deeply, <em>Tally thought.

She smiled at Al, but completely ignored Ed. If he was going to be mean, she wasn't going to be nice. She wasn't a pushover, after all. Turning her back to him, she faced Alphonse. "Beth says you guys are taking me to the hospital."

Behind her, she heard Edward mutter, "Unfortunately." She stiffened, but ignored him, once again. _Don't let him get to you, _she told herself.

Al got up, nodding. "Yup! Are you ready to go?"

Tally held up a little bag that Beth had packed for her, filled with extra clothes, some snacks and a few toiletries. "I'm ready."

Ed snorted. "You're bringing luggage?"

She turned around and glared. "Oh my God. Leave me the fuck alone!"

Tally could tell he was surprised. Either that or amused. His eyebrows raised, and he returned her glare enthusiastically. "Be happy we're even bringing you to the hospital. You don't even look sick."

"I'm suffering from amnesia. I don't think amnesiacs cough or sneeze or puke or anything."

He gave her a suspicious look. Was that his issue? Did he hate her? Or did he just distrust her? She wasn't a criminal! She hadn't done anything wrong! Well, okay, perhaps she had accused him of rape, pedophilia, and being a generally evil person. _Maybe _she had made the worst impression possible. But so what? Was that really a reason to hate on her?

...

_Okay, _she reasoned. _Maybe it is. But I'm innocent!_

_Sure, _snorted the little evil voice in her head. _You're lying to everyone here. Wasting poor Beth's money and time and love. You're a horrible person._

_Hey! Who's side are you on?_

_Ed's. _

_That's mean!_

_Oh, and you're such a sweetheart. Face it: all you do is lie. You're just a liar. _

_I am not!_

_Liar, liar, pants on fire!_

_Shut up!_

"Um, are you okay?"

Tally blinked, noticing the worried looks she was getting from Al and Beth, who had appeared during her tiny mental struggle. She breathed in deeply, internally uttered another string of curses (_a la francais_) at the voice in her head, and managed to pull a poker face together. "Sorry. Just zoned out there."

"Come on!" Ed called from outside. "The train's gonna leave without us!"

Al yelled back, "Coming!" and rushed outside. Tally turned to Beth and gave her a quick hug, murmuring a quick, "Bye," and she was soon ushered outside.

* * *

><p><em>It was that quick. I felt safe with Beth. Protected. Happy, even, to a certain degree. And in two seconds, I was rushed out with nothing but a bag full of crackers and toothpaste and more horrible dresses. No waterworks. Barely a goodbye. <em>

_I don't think I was really ready. For any of this, really. But life never gives you time. It doesn't even give you moments to get yourself together, console yourself, wipe a few tears away, and build up a facade strong even to fool everyone around you. It just rushes ahead, and you have to do your best to keep up._

_ If you can't, oh well. Sucks for you. You're left in the dust, to pick up the pieces and try to catch up. And if you can't do _that ... _well, I'm not sure what happens. I think I've always managed to keep up. I'm surrounded by beautiful, successful people that are always two steps ahead: kind Beth, the genius Elrics, beautiful Darcy. People with advanced brains and looks and minds and hearts. And then you have me._

_I don't want to be like that any more. _

_Catch me if you can._

* * *

><p><strong>i'm alive! <strong>

**okay. i'm sorry. sorry, sorry, sorry. my teacher has this weird fantasy, in which all of her students have oodles of free time and no lives. i don't know where she gets this from, but it has driven her to give us enough projects and assignments to last a year. my computer also broke down for quite a bit. not to mention, i have a new dance teacher, and she's a fucking drill sergeant. like, izumi, only in dance form. **

**which is traumatizing. sorry for that image. :3**

**and i'm also really sorry for not updating in so long! i'm here now, though, and i also apologize for the suckiness of this chapter. nothing really happened. i was planning on making it longer. but one of my friends (*cough* maggie *cough*) sort of threatened me and so here i am.**

**during this entire chapter, i put on sad music, to set the mood. and some angry rock music during the ed/tally fights. i don't know how i'm going to manage to have these two become friends. _lovers _is a whole different spectrum. o.o **

**more traumatizing pictures. sorry! **

**okay. i'm apologizing too much. sor-. okay. no more of the 's' word. :) **

**holy crap, i'm at forty-one reviews! :O that's insane! and only the forth chapter! well, this is the fifth one, but still! i'm so grateful! :) no joke! i read all your comments every single day and you guys are all so lovely and amazing. keep being yourselves! please! **

**also, it appears that, due to me having to spend most of my time covered in paint, on the computer, or sweating and in a leotard, i have lost interest in fashion. sort of. so i'm technically a tomboy. o.o i still like the art, but you won't find me screaming about alexander mcqueen or something ... which is weird. don't worry, though; tally is still the good ol' girly fashionista you met in chapter one. i just wanted to give you a heads up, in case i slip in her personality once in a while. it's harder to write a character that has a such a major opposition from yourself. **

**now, it's time for review replies! :) **

**Kiki on The Momo Tree: aha! i can relate, too! i mean, sure, i'm not all obsessive over clothes now, but still. beth has little to no fashion sense. -_- poor tally. yeah! rangers ftw! :D if i were tally, i would have probably fainted on the spot, or excused myself to the bathroom and have a little 'omgomgomgomg i'm in a different world!' moment. xD i'd love to help you kidnap ed, steal his clothes, and then impersonate him all day. :P if you need torture ideas, be sure to pm me! ;)  
><strong>

**rachLA: oi! bonjour, fellow new teenager! :) thank you for your kind words! and i'm pretty sure most writers/artists are known as a bit quirky. it's what makes us awesome. no! spare the waffles! i've updated (soon? eh...)! not the waffles!  
><strong>

**ZodiarkSavior: thank you for your reviews! ^_^ i'm glad you like my story, and the intro! and i'm sorry for the short chapter, and any future ones! and thank you, thank you, thank you for confirming tally's non-mary-sue-ness. you've saved me from possibly adding in one too many flaws. :)  
><strong>

**(ah, shit, i said the 's' word again, didn't i? oh, well. carrying on!) **

**Storygirl11: oh, god, i know! milk is amazing. especially chocolate milk. :) but i don't think ed would even touch _that. _le sigh. no wonder he's barely growing.  
><strong>

**Eclipsewings: thank you! ^_^ i've never noticed any gay/bisexual ocs in this fandom yet, unless you count the appalling amount of edroy and elricest i've seen. hehe. while you're looking forward to reading about a developing relationship, i'm worrying about writing it. i hope i'll manage alright. **

**TheWaffleAlchemist: oh! it's the epic named dude! :D i think i'd be sort of happy, sort of freaked out. happy to get away, but freaked out, because i'm not the best fighter and i'm not really smart. and tally is pretty into artistic things. visual art, mostly. i think i'll give more insight into that later. but there is definitely more to her than meets the eye!  
><strong>

**Rokuchuchu: thank you! i'll definitely contact you first if i need help with a username! :) and i love your avatar btw! ^_^  
><strong>

**Everfew: thank you! i hope i keep it realistic, as well. o.o and tell Moka-girl i say hi, as well. :) and, yes, you have guessed correctly. her least favorite book is twilight. **

**InterceptionSunset: oh, god, are you serious? o.o no criticisms at all? you love it? :D i'm blushing right now, i really am! you've made my day! ^_^ and i've written more, so i hope you like this chapter. and i _adore _your avatar. like, a lot. a lot a lot. :)  
><strong>

**AnimeVamp1997: aww, you're not a horrible person! you're actually quite fucking awesome! :) and, yes, their first meeting was quite amazing. ^_^ tally tends to assume the worst in confusing situations, aha. and, erm, i haven't updated _soon, _but it's better than nothing, right?  
><strong>

**NinjaCatNyan: oh, hello, completely stranger! ;) and thank you for your lovely words! :3  
><strong>

**and those are the review replies! :) thank you, thank you, thank you! ^_^ you guys make my day everytime you review! and that's forty-one saved penguins, forty-one klisses, and we're only fifty-nine reviews away from the fluff scene planning time! thank you so much! :) keep reading, keep reviewing, and most importantly, keep enjoying! ^_^**

***teleports* **


	6. Of Doctors, Frenemies, and Supernaturals

_And then things became fucked up._

* * *

><p>Tally reminded Al of Winry. Not because she was pretty, or blonde, or mechanics-obsessed. She wasn't any of those things. No, because she and Ed argued.<p>

A lot.

Currently, the two were just glaring at each other in very not-so-subtle manners. But that made him just as uncomfortable as he would have been if they had started wrestling right on the spot. He had never liked choosing sides, either. Not to mention, he wasn't quite sure where his brother's negative feelings towards Tally had sprouted from. She seemed nice. A bit quirky, but nice. It had only gotten worse then they had gotten on the train, and Tally had said, "By the way, my name isn't Elphie. It's Tally."

"But Beth said it was Elphie..." Al had said.

Tally had just shrugged, her cheeks tinted red, looking down at her lap. "That was sort of a nickname. My name is Tally."

If anything, that had done nothing but raise Ed's suspicion of her.

Al shifted a bit in his seat, staring out the window. His day hadn't been going very well, either. Here he was, stuck on a smelly train, heading to town that he could only hope would have some good information. But after years of false leads, he wasn't so sure. He could only try to keep his optimism up. Because what did he have, if he didn't have hope?

Not much, that was for sure.

"I'm going to the bathroom," he heard. Al looked up to see Tally get up and out of her seat, rushing out of their train car, obviously trying to get away from the awkward tension.

As soon as she was gone, Ed sighed, "I don't see why she can't just _walk _to Grodowne."

Al gave him a sarcastic look. "You know why; it's too far away."

"Yeah, but now _we _have to take her..." he complained.

Alphonse shook his head. Edward had always been one to whine openly. He disliked hiding useless emotions. "She's not that bad."

"She's annoying."

"Brother, you've barely said a few words to her, besides insults."

"Yeah, well, I have good ... annoying radar."

Al giggled. "Sure you do."

There was a minute of silence before Al piped up, "Hey, Ed. Do you think we'll get a lead this time?"

Ed sighed, before straightening in his seat. "I don't know, Al. But I've got a good feeling about this one."

"Me, too."

Tally decided to come back at this point, taking a seat beside Alphonse. Ed immediately stiffened when she did.

"Hi," she said awkwardly. "What were you guys doing?"

She said it quietly, like she was forcing herself to make conversation. Al suspected she was.

"Hi," he greeted her anyway, always the polite one. Ed grunted. Tally ignored him.

"What were you guys doing?" she asked again.

"Nothing," Edward said quickly, not even looking at her. Tally glared.

"Just talking," Alphonse said. "We're gonna be arriving at Grodowne pretty soon."

The brunette shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable. Al felt a twinge of sympathy. It was never pleasant, having to face a fear head on, no matter what that fear happened to be.

"Great," she said halfheartedly.

"And we'll drop you off there and we'll just get our stuff done," Ed said.

Tally shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Good luck with ... with whatever you guys are trying to do."

"Thanks." Short answer, short talk.

"So what's going on with your memory?" Al asked. Ed sent him a questioning look, obviously not expecting that question.

Tally shook her head. "It's complicated. Long story short, I woke up, Beth took me in, and I don't remember where I came from or anything like that."

"Just like that?" Edward sounded disbelieving.

"Just like that. I told you, it's complicated. And weird." She observed her fingernails with a frightening intensity.

"That's rare," Ed said skeptically.

"I know. That's why I'm going all the way to this random city to get a doctor." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, Grodowne _is _known for its medical care," Al said. "I'm sure they'll help you find a solution."

She smiled. "Thanks."

The rest of the ride was silent.

* * *

><p>Grodowne was much bigger and bolder than tiny little Kriasin, a fact that had Tally overjoyed. It was also quite inhabited, with people at nearly every corner, kids especially. <em>This town obviously spends a lot of time fucking, <em>she thought solemnly.

Mostly, she was just glad to be able to get out of that horrible, smelly train. From here, she could go fake her doctor's appointment, grab a map, and hop on the nearest train to Winevra, while the Elric Nerds did whatever research they had to do. She could ditch them easily, the same way she did school.

And at the 's' word, a familiar pang of homesickness struck her, and she pushed it away. _Focus. _

"Well," she said, hopping off the train and pasting a smile on her face. "Thanks for all your help, but I'll be on my way now-"

"Not so fast!" Edward interrupted. "Beth's making us follow you."

She paled. Her plan was disintegrating! All thanks to Beth's overprotectiveness! "I don't need bodyguards," she huffed, sticking her flat chest out. "I can take care of myself."

Ed rolled his eyes. "It's to make sure you actually go to the doctor's."

"Oh." Tally's brain immediately filled in the blanks. All she had to do was wait until the doctor's appointment was over, and then sneak out while Ed and Al were in the library or whatever. Perfect! She was a genius! She smiled as Ed picked up the pace, rushing past her. For once, she was happy to follow behind him. It took all she had not to skip all the way to the doctor's office, because a sudden change of mood would be more suspicious than anything.

There was quite a number of medical facilities in Grodowne. Every which way she glanced, there would be different buildings that read things like: _Jenkins Medical Care, Dr. Henry McMiller's Office _and _Lily Hermings Practice. _She looked up at Alphonse. "Which one do we pick?"

Al shrugged. "I don't know. Brother, did Beth give us a specific name?"

Edward shook his head, not even looking back. "She said to pick 'the best'." His voice sounded mocking.

"What's the best?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Well, I just thought-"

"That one looks nice!" Al blurted, before the two could get at each other again. When two pairs of heads swiveled to face him, he lifted a finger and pointed it at a huge building, bigger than the others. This one didn't have a specific title. It simply read, _Grodowne Professional Health Care Center. _It was rectangular and bland and grey. Tally had a sudden urge to graffiti all over it with neon paint to add some life and personality to it, the way she used to do with her room. Song lyrics and quotes and pictures and-

_Focus, _she told herself. _Don't get distracted. _

"Well, here it is, then," Ed muttered, turning and walking in the direction of the building. Tally rolled her eyes and then quickened her pace until she broke into a run. She got there before him, and smirked as the Elrics reached the center after her. It may have been nothing to them, but to her, it meant she was slightly ahead of life, in her own way.

* * *

><p><em>Cue the fucking up. <em>

* * *

><p>The doctor was old and balding and smelled like tuna fish.<p>

Tally felt uncomfortable, squirming in her seat on the hospital bed as went through the usual checkup procedure. She wished she could find a way to clog up her nostrils, because she hated the smell of tuna fish. But since she couldn't, she just squirmed and counted all the posters on the wall. _One, two, three, four, five, six-_

"Well, mostly everything seems to be in order."

Tally looked up, expecting the doctor's words, but relieved to hear them just the same. "Great!" she exclaimed. "So I can go now?"

A chuckle escaped Dr. Tuna Fish's lips. "Not quite. We'll have to go through a couple more tests. Starting with a blood test."

All the color seemed to drain from her face. "B-Blood test?"

* * *

><p>It seemed to take forever until her appointment was finally done. Tally was still dressed in her horribly tacky hospital gown, in a dreadful light-blue-meets-navy color. She stomped down the hallways, cursing the light and doctors and Beth and everything. She rubbed the band aid on her left arm, where the doctor had taken blood about an hour ago. After that came only more tests, each one weirder than the last.<p>

None of them had any sort of advanced technology or anything special that she expected to see in such a huge medical hospital. She brushed it off, though, assuming it was simply due to the fact that she was in some rural place filled with wannabe 1900s-geeks. Soon, she would be back in Winevra, with her friends and family and life back.

The hallway was generally empty, save for a few nurses pushing carts of food into rooms, and a doctor writing on his clipboard, eyebrows furrowed, probably making notes on a patient. Tally felt quite out of place in her ugly gown. She took random twists and turns through the hospital, looking around for Edward and Alphonse. Her plan was to wander around for a few more minutes and - if she ended up in yet another storage closet - ask for help _only _if she couldn't find the waiting room.

As she took a left turn, she noticed another person walking down the hall. This person was very hard to miss, with long masses of red waves. She was thin, with flawless skin. Tally couldn't see her face from across the hall, but judging from her body and hair, she was probably pretty. The closer Tally got to her, the more she could see: a tiny nose, narrow eyes, thin eyebrows, light lips. And it took one second for recognition to slap her in the face, cold and uninviting.

Darcy.

The redhead recognized Tally at the same time Tally realized it was her. Two pairs of eyes widened, eyebrows rose up, up, and Tally's jaw fell. Darcy, however, twisted her lips into an unflattering snarl. She walked over, her pace quickening until she was almost running. When the two were face to face, she grabbed onto Tally's sweaty, shaking hand and lead her to the girls' bathroom, pushing her inside and rushing in along with her while Tally came up with excuses, thousands of them, as to why this was happening to her. _God hates me _and _Darcy has a look alike _and _This is one big dream and I'm going to wake up and laugh it off in the morning. _A pinch from her fingers, however, rendered the last theory useless.

Darcy. Darcy Robertson. The girl who she had hated since freshman year, when Darcy had told Tally her new dress was 'tacky', in front of her entire class. It wasn't any of her friends here. Not Justin. Not Maddie. Hell, not even her mom!

No. Her _murderer _was here.

The sound of the bathroom door's lock clicking shut shocked her back into reality. She took a quick step back from Darcy, eyes wide, heart racing. If she had been killed once, Darcy could do it again! She scanned the redhead quickly, taking in her hospital gown. It had no pockets, and was sleeveless. No bulges. Her hair was brushed back neatly. No where to hide a knife or a gun or a baseball bat. This realization calmed her down by only a degree.

She could always kill her with her bare hands.

Before she could say anything, Darcy spat: "You."

Tally gulped. "Wh-Wh-What-"

"You," she repeated. "It's you. It's your fault I'm here. All. Your. Fault!"

The brunette couldn't believe her ears. "Me? What ... How ... Why ... What did I _do_?"

Darcy's eyes were wild, animal. She shook her head. "Oh, don't play stupid. You know what you did. You and your damn, klutzy self!"

The gravity of the situation fell on Tally's shoulders all at once: Darcy was accusing her! She thought it was _her _fault, _her _actions that had lead the two of them here!

Here she was, standing in front of a girl. This girl had teased and bullied her for months. She had hurt her physically and verbally. And she had pushed her in front of an oncoming car. And now here she was, insisting that everything was _her_ fault.

_Push. Push. Push. Pushed until her buttons broke and her bones shattered. _

Tally squared her shoulders, glaring. "Oh. Oh! Is _that _what you think? It's my fault I was hit by a fucking car?"

Darcy's eyes flashed with something, but it passed too quick for Tally to see what it was. "I _know_-"

"Well, you're wrong!" she snapped, leaning forward, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "Last time I checked, _you _killed _me._"

Darcy inhaled sharply, eyes widening. She took a step back. "No. No, that's not _true_, damnit..." She shook her head, as if trying to awaken herself from a trance. "You started it. Pushing me down first. That dress was _expensive_-"

"I don't care about your stupid dress!" It should have been anyone here, anyone but_ her_. "In case you haven't noticed, we're stuck here! Alone! And no one has even heard of Winevra!"

Darcy gave her a look. Tally was almost grateful to see the sarcastic gesture, because it reminded her of the old I-have-everything-together-all-the-time Darcy, not the girl who seemed near hysteria at the moment. "Well, duh!" The redhead said with a roll of her eyes. "It doesn't exist here, idiot."

Tally blinked. "What?"

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" She giggled. "You are one clueless little girl, aren't you?"

Tally balled her hands into fists by her sides. Each snicker that escaped Darcy's lips felt like a personal insult, a slap in the face. Like she knew something she didn't.

She didn't like it.

_Pushing and pushing and pushing._

"Quit bullshitting me!" she nearly screamed. "Where am I? Why am I here? Why are you here with me?"

Another giggle. "I didn't know you were _that _stupid..."

Tally's patience was quickly wearing thin, her blood burning, eyes narrowing, and toes curling in. She was about to snap, say something _truly _horrible, when Darcy's sneering tone sneaked back into her ears like a snake.

"Well, I don't know where we are, exactly, but it's not on Earth."

_Pop! _

All the pent up anger and frustration whizzed out of Tally like a dead balloon, replaced by confusion. She blinked. Once. Twice. "What ... what are you ... what...?"

_Liar. You're lying to me. You're trying to make a fool out of me._

"We're not on Earth anymore," Darcy said, as if this was a perfectly normal statement. "Another dimension, actually."

It was Tally's turn to giggle. She couldn't help it. The idea that they were just casually chilling in another dimension ... well, that was crazy! And impossible. She wasn't stupid. Not smart, but not a total idiot, either. And she hated being tricked.

"Yeah," she said, laughing. "And Chanel isn't a genius."

The redhead gripped her hips. "Fine, then. You don't believe me?"

"Duh. You have no proof. Besides, how stupid is that? We're in an alternate dimension? Seriously?"

Darcy swept her arm around the bathroom, as if the proof to her theory was lying somewhere deep among the forgotten pieces of toilet paper that littered the floor and the last drips of hand soap. "Everything about this place is ... different."

"Different," Tally repeated, staring.

"Yes, different."

"Different how?" she challenged, crossing her arms.

There was a five second silence, in which Tally was sure she had won. But then Darcy blurted, "Phones!"

"..." Tally replied.

"You haven't seen a single cell phone here, have you? In Winevra, people wave those things around everywhere. But here? Not one! For Christ's sake, I didn't even see any in Central!"

This was true, yes. But perhaps it was just an extremely weird coincidence. Not enough proof. But something was stirring in Tally's stomach. Beth had had a phone. An old fashioned one, odd buttons and all. But that didn't mean the supernatural was occurring. It _couldn't_.

"Right?"

Ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach, she swallowed. "So? That can't be all, right? I mean-"

"The cars. No Toyota, or Dodge, or Ford. There all old, too! I saw a model from our history textbooks back home!"

"B-But-"

"The architecture! The lack of technology!"

"..."

"The _fashions_, Tally!"

And that was all it took. Before she knew what was happening, tears were welling up in her eyes and she was struggling to blink them back. And then her knees felt weak and she shot a hand out to balance herself, using the wall. And then she was nearly sobbing, right in front of the girl who had killed her less than a week ago.

Darcy's explanation made _sense. _And that horrible little voice in her head had sprouted, once again taunting her mercilessly, telling her it was the cold, hard truth. The Voice was always right. Always. And then her stomach was clenching, like she was going to be sick, her brain putting together pieces of a puzzle she didn't want to see.

Because sure, Earth had its flaws. They had global issues and wars and fights and crap. Lots of it. But at the end of the day, Earth was her _home_. It had her friends and family and her dreams and passions and hopes and wishes. She didn't want to be separated from that. It was all she had ever known.

"Oh, please. Build a bridge and get over yourself."

Tally looked up at Darcy through eyes streaked with tears and anger. "What?" she hissed. "A-Are you insane? I'm finished! Done! No more! I'm away from home and friends and family and _oh, God, _Alexander McQueen! No more McQueen or Chanel or Gucci or Prada or-"

"Will you shut up?"

She shut up.

Darcy rubbed her forehead with her hand, evidently exasperated. "We have other problems, in case you haven't noticed. Like, I don't know, _getting home_?"

Tally hesitated for just a second before inhaling shakily and straightening. Her knees wobbled before righting themselves. "But ... how did you get here?"

All of a sudden, Darcy's cool-and-calm demeanor fell, and her shoulders slumped. She bit her lip, looking down at her hands and pulling at her long, pale fingers, one by one. "I don't know," she said, her voice quieter and shakier than Tally had ever heard her speak before. "I don't know how I got here, where here is, exactly, why I'm here with you..."

Tally tuned her out for just a second while she ran things over in her aching head. She wasn't on Earth anymore. She was in some random planet, or world, or dimension. Where she had no friends, no family, and no decent fashion. Where she was stuck with Darcy Robertson and annoying nerds and general chaos and shit and-

"Are you even listening to me?"

Tally blinked. "What?"

Darcy sighed at having to explain her plan again. "We have to do research. Study. Find out more about this place."

"We?" She narrowed her brown eyes. "Who said anything about 'we'?"

The redhead frowned. "Look. I'm smart, okay? You, however, are not so smart."

"Hey!" Tally began to protest, but Darcy glared, silencing her.

"But you have strengths," she said. "Combine my smarts and your strengths and we'll get home faster."

"Strengths? What strengths?"

"Advantages. You're good at thinking outside the box. Remember eighth grade art class? You were the only one who got higher than a C in that class. You're good at creative things and, as much as I hate to admit it, that's essential. This world relies on things other than science. Besides. You'll be a goner without me."

Tally examined the girl in front of her: mussed hair, gown slipping off a pale shoulder, eyes looking ... uncertain? For the first time in her life, Tally wasn't looking at her picture-perfect nemesis. Darcy look shaky. Nervous. Vulnerable.

Human.

And, so, before she knew what she was doing, she was murmuring an, "Okay." And then Darcy nodded, straightening back to her flawless poise. She turned around and began walking away, Tally jogging to keep up.

* * *

><p>It took quite a while before the two girls stopped arguing long enough to devise a semi-decent plan. Tally summarized her story since she had arrived in Amestris, including the bits about her 'memory loss', and how she had fooled everyone so far. She nearly missed the approving smirk that crossed Darcy's lips. Nearly.<p>

When Tally had asked Darcy about what had happened to her, she just told her to, "Shut up and mind your own business!"

The suspense was nearly killing her, but she resisted asking again, knowing it would do nothing but irk the teenager further.

"So you have no clue as to how to leave?" Darcy asked, as the two walked down the hospital hallway.

Tally shook her head. "Nope."

"Well, this isn't natural."

The brunette raised her eyebrows in mock astonishment."No, really?"

Darcy chose to ignore her blatant sarcasm. "And what's the opposite of natural?"

"Um ... man-made?"

"No, idiot! Supernatural!"

Tally stopped in her tracks, giving her frenemy an incredulous look. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all."

"Darcy, 'supernatural' means ghosts and zombies and stuff!"

An auburn eyebrow quirked. "Oh? And is our current situation _so _much more unrealistic than ghosts? 'Oh, hi, we're just wondering if you have any books on how to travel between dimensions?'"

"It's not dimensions!" Tally shot back. "It's just ... just..."

"Just what?"

"Something. Something. Nothing. I don't know." She still didn't quite believe Darcy's previous theory. It just hadn't sunk in yet. And, frankly, she didn't want to accept it; the less crazy she was, the better.

"You're an idiot," Darcy sighed., running a ahnd through her long waves. "We're studying supernatural things first. Best to get the crazy stuff out of the way."

"Fine," Tally muttered.

"Hey! Tally! Wait up!"

Both girls turned in the direction of the voice, only to find the Elric brothers running towards them. Tally paled by a fraction. _Shit._ She still had to get rid of them, before her plan could go into action. The last thing she needed was the Elric Nerds to get suspicious. And getting rid of them would prove to be difficult, what with their promise to Beth and all.

Edward stopped in front of her. "Done with your-" He seemed to notice Darcy, all of a sudden. And he actually _scowled,_ as if he could sense how horribly bitchy she really was, how evil she was behind her innocent appearance.

"You!" he spat. "It's you again!"

Darcy smirked. "Well, hello, Elric Shrimp."

Edward was obviously about to blow up, judging by his face, red with rage, and his deepening scowl. Darcy would have been dead meat, if Al hadn't swooped in and grabbed him. Ed decided to rant instead.

"Who're you calling so small he can ride a beetle like a horse?" he demanded angrily.

"You," Darcy said.

"Argh!"

A nurse poked her head out of a patient's room. "Shhhhh!"

They shhhhed.

And as soon as the nurse disappeared, Tally turned to the two, confusion evident in her eyes. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait." She flapped a hand up in the air, looking between Darcy and Edward. "You guys ... You guys know each other...?"

Ed's frown deepened. "We met. Central."

"Central?" Tally turned to Darcy, wide-eyed. How long had she been here...? "When did you guys meet?"

"About a month ago," Alphonse said.

_Month?_ How would Darcy have been here for months, when she had been here for barely a week?

"Well, _that_ was certainly a fascinating experience, wasn't it?" Darcy drawled, sending a pointed look at Al, who shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.

Ed swore under his breath and advanced forward. His left arm reeled back, ready to throw a punch. Once again, Al had to hold him back from possible murder. Tally just watched.

"What did you _do?_" she whisper-hissed to Darcy.

"Nothing much," was the smug reply. When Tally gave her a sharp look, she simply rolled her eyes and mouthed _I'll tell you later. __  
><em>

"Come on, Tally." Ed's voice was tight with anger. "We're going to the library-"

"Too bad," Darcy cut in. "She's staying here. We have important business to discuss."

"What business?" In all the chaos, Tally had nearly forgotten Al was there. It was nice, though, to have a voice that wasn't yelling and screaming.

"Duh." The auburn-haired girl rolled her eyes. She seemed to be doing that a lot. She turned to Tally, gripping her hips. "Come _on__. _Me or the shrimp?"

Ed sent her another death stare, but thankfully kept his mouth shut.

Tally looked at Edward. Then Darcy. Then Alphonse. She repeated this process a few times. If she went with Darcy, Ed would obviously hate her. It was clear he despised Darcy, after all. Not to mention, it wasn't as if she liked Darcy very much either. The girl had tortured her since seventh grade, with insults and pranks. And she constantly hit on Justin, despite how obvious it was he disliked her.

But going with Darcy had one advantage: Darcy was the smartest girl she knew. She always looked for knowledge and logic and more of it. How she managed to be a nerd _and _stay popular, Tally didn't know. But it also meant she had most likely already done research on how to get home. Or, if she hadn't, she probably knew how to find information, obviously far better than she did. And she was the one person who wouldn't believe Tally was crazy, if she chose to go public with her real story.

She was her one connection to home. And if she didn't go with her, Darcy would throw a big fit and leave her to rot. No help.

Her connection would be lost.

Her decision was made. Tally turned to the Elrics, trying to look apologetic. "I'll catch up with you at the library," she said quietly. For a second, she thought they hadn't heard her. But then Edward's eyebrows narrowed and he muttered a quick, "Fine," and stomped off. She automatically felt guilty. _Focus,_ she told herself. _You're supposed to get home. Making friends is useless. _

Al gave her a long look. "Can you be there by five?" he asked.

Tally glancesd at the clock: 2:43 PM. She shifted her gaze to Darcy, who just frowned. "We'll be done when we're done," Darcy said. "Could be five, could be twelve. We'll see."

Tally sighed. "I'm sorry, Al. I'll be there by five, don't worry." She ignored Darcy's glare. Alphonse nodded and then he goes off, running to catch up with this brother.

"Those guys are weird, huh?" Tally said when they were gone. "The older is small, the younger is big. And they both like libraries. Do you think Al gets hot in that armor?"

Darcy gave her a look. "You don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Tally looked confused.

Darcy hesitated for a moment before blinking hard and shaking her head. "Nothing. It's nothing. Come on. We've gotta get a plan sorted out."

And off they went.

* * *

><p><em>Ha ha. Yes, I'm an idiot. Trusting my enemy. Oh, genius, right? <em>

_Well, frankly, I think it played off okay. _

_But they were hiding something from me, the Elrics and Darcy. And so, being the complete weirdo that I am, I decided to 'investigate'. _

_You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat._

* * *

><p><strong>oooh. can this be? i've updated? le gasp! cue the trumpets, my fellow creative fountains! <strong>

**i was going to wait a bit before updating but then this huge swarm of amazing amvs, fanfictions and fanart just popped up during the month of june, so i got this done. i guess it was just this huge blur of inspiration. :) **

**whatever it is, i'm pretty happy with this chapter. i think it could progress a bit more slowly, but i suppose it's alright. **

**and, yes, sticking darcy in was crucial. it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision, but i think it'll prove to be a good one. i mean, darcy is so much more ruthless and cruel than tally. she's willing to do things tally won't, tossing morals aside. because some of her actions might be cruel, but they also might be essential to helping the two get home.**

**as for romance, well, i suppose it'll be progressing slowly. very, very slowly. no making out in dark corners until chapter eight!**

**haha, i'm just joking.**

**but seriously, i'm sorry if any of my readers were wanting fast romance, but i want to focus more on the action and adventure of the story, for now. and for a long time. because action kicks ass. romance kisses ass.**

**which sounds better, hm?**

**and now, it's time for ... review replies! :D **

**NinjaCatNyan: ew. ew, it's you. ugh.  
><strong>

**haha, just kidding. :3 **

**thank you, fellow darcy lover! and, yes, you're right. bitches make the store spicy. **

**oh, god, our race.**

**well, long story short, confused souls, maggie (NinjaCatNyan) basically forced me to write this out. threats and all. you have her to thank for the lack of a one-year hiatus. **

***sigh* _fine_. i'll tell you next time.**

**maybe.**

**mwahahahahaha!**

**kid-kun: thank you for your kind comments! ^_^  
><strong>

**and, yes, i totally get what you mean. i have a friend that's bisexual, and when she tells people, a lot of them go, "wait. you like boys? or girls? both? is that even possible?" it's annoying and hurtful. -_- not to mention, their ignorance just pisses me off...**

**oh, god ... don't even get me started on close-minded yaoi fangirls... *shudder***

**you love me? =^_^= you sweetheart, you! thank you for your lovely review!**

**faded colors: let me just start off by saying that i completely adore your username. i don't know why. it just seems to flow well. so i applaud you for that bout of genius. :)  
><strong>

**as for your review, this is one of the nicest reviews i have ever gotten. i mean, my day was going a bit shitty when i got this. then i read it and all the shittiness just sort of flew out the window! :) thank you so, so much. **

**it's so reassuring to hear those comments about tally's personality! i suffer from story-paranoia, so i'm constantly fretting and worrying about things like this. **

**and the fact that you racked your brain and went through searching and things for my story makes me smile so big, i think i'm in danger of damaging my facial muscles.**

**in other words...**

**thank you!**

**:D **

**AnimeVamp1997:  
><strong>

**rawrrrrrrrzers! **

**:3 **

**haha. yeah, it's nice to see her not lying. i mean, she still hasn't told the total truth yet (barely any of it, really). but she's learning, right? :D yay learning!**

**haha. nice to know i'm not the only one who's traumatized by izumi being a dance teacher. :P **

**TheWaffleAlchemist: oi! it's you! ze epic named! :3**

**elphie is a very ... fascinating name. but tally suits her way better, so i'm glad she decided to tell the truth as well, to beth, al, and ed. :) **

**and ed is sort of being a douche. he just doesn't trust her. and i don't think he likes the way she bossed him around about the bacon. and beth's fondness of her confuses him. **

**but al is much more trusting! :) so i'm sure that tally'll get along with al better than ed, for the time-being. **

**SweetSirendipity: haha, someone obviously took their caffeine pills this morning. ;)  
><strong>

**and, well, here's the next chapter, so i hope you enjoy it! ^_^**

**Gummy'Fish'Lover: hehe. eat my furniture, but leave my books alone, will ya? :P  
><strong>

**four in the morning, eh? who needs sleep? :P **

**and i've updated! :) enjoy! thank you for your review!**

**Dylexa: yes! fellow penguin saver! :)  
><strong>

**aww, thank you so much for your kind words! ^_^ **

**no grammar mistakes? :O holy shit. i was sure there'd be something, because i'm horrible at editing. it's nice to know there aren't any! :) thank you! **

**yay for new readers! thank you so much for your feedback! :D**

**and there you have it, folks! :) all the lovelies that reviewed my story!**

**honestly, every single review i get means so much, more than you may think. i'm really, really glad people read - and enjoy - my work. so thank you so, so much. i give you all the thanks in the world and beyond. **

**fifty-one saved penguins, fifty-one klisses, and forty-nine reviews away from me planning a fluff scene! whee! thank you for all your continuous support. :) kurt and blaine are getting quite nifty... ;) **

**sorry. had to say that.**

**on a side-note, if any of you have requests, suggestions, constructive-criticism or anything of that sort, don't hesitate to tell me in the form of a review or pm! i want to make this story the best it can be. and the only way to do that is to take all of your advice into account. even if it's a flame. :P **

**thank you, once more! **

***flies off* **


	7. Of Libraries, More Lies, and Fate

The library was big. Very big. In fact, all Darcy could do was pinch the inside of her elbow (an old habit of hers) and try not to gawk as her eyes whizzed along rows upon rows of books, thick volumes and slim novels. Some had battered, yellow papers, while others seemed so new she could smell the crispness along their pages. She wanted nothing more than to shove Tally aside and scream, "Mine!" before disappearing into the non fiction section (because what was the use in heading to the fiction section and reading about things that didn't exist?).

Instead, she gave Tally a long look. The brunette was currently looking at the library with a wide-eyed gaze that was earning her a few looks from passerby. Darcy wanted to slap her. Yeah, sure the library was huge (their local library in Winevra was a shed compared to this!), but that didn't give her a reason to act like a total freak.

"Close your mouth," she said smoothly. "We wouldn't want flies getting in."

Tally's jaw went back into place. "Oh, give me a break. This place is awesome! You can't tell me _you _weren't shocked when you first came here!"

Darcy ignored the memory of her own deer-in-headlights look during her first visit and shook her head. "Oh, yeah, I flap my mouth around when I come to libraries all the time!"

Tally narrowed her eyebrows and mumbled something in French (how could she have forgotten her obsession with that damn language...?) before turning and stomping off to the fiction section of the library. Darcy sighed and ran after her, catching her wrist.

"Wait," she said.

Tally wrenched free and turned to look at her. "What?"

"Studying first. You'll have plenty of time to read your little fairy tales later."

Tally's cheeks tinted pink. "I-I don't read fairy tales!" she protested, in a way that made Darcy very quite sure she _did _read fairy tales.

"Right."

"Please? Just one book? Then we'll do whatever you like and look through the science geek section."

"Being intelligent doesn't make me a geek," she said, shifting her weight between her feet. "And no. Studying first."

Tally frowned, rolling her eyes. "Okay, okay. Let's go, then."

"Wait. We have things to discuss first." She tilted her head towards a corner table, away from possible eavesdropping ears. Tally huffed and took a seat.

"What _things_?" She said 'things' the same way a vegetarian may have said the word 'meat'.

"We need to get our plan straight." Darcy sat in a chair across from Tally, folding her hands on her lap and crossing her legs primly underneath the table, the way her mom used to make her practice when she was little, trying to get her to look like a 'proper lady'. "Our form of action. Rules."

"Rules were made to be broken."

"Funny. Too bad we're not crack-smoking delinquents, right?"

Tally twisted her lips, like she was tasting something sour. "Why do we need a plan of action? Study, find out what's going on, get a way home. Isn't that it?"

Darcy shook her head. "Too vague. Something will go wrong. And once things get out of line, it's only a matter of time before everything starts unraveling right in our hands."

The brunette considered this, then leaned back and crossed her arms. "What do you have in mind, then?"

Darcy leaned forward, over the table, trying not to smirk. The intoxicating feeling of being in charge was already reverberating through her fingertips. _I knew you'd see it my way. _"First of all: rules."

She sighed but nodded. "Go on."

"Number one: no close relationships. We'll be leaving this shithole soon enough. If we get attached to anyone, it'll be difficult to get to what matters."

"Got it."

"Second of all: absolute focus. You don't feel like getting out of bed? Too bad; I'll leave for the library without you. Tired? Well, that sucks! I'll give you a few seconds to rest while I head back home!"

Tally looked decidedly uncomfortable at this prospect, but she gestured for her to go on.

"And lastly? Do whatever it takes. Lie, cheat, steal, betray, whatever. We're getting home. That's final."

The brunette gasped. "You can't be serious! That's ... that's just mean."

"No one got anywhere in this world by being nice."

"Princess Diana did!" Tally shot back.

"And look at her. She's dead."

Tally was quiet.

"Listen to me." She reached over and grabbed onto Tally's shoulders. The teen yelped and pushed back. Her chair scraped against the floor, and a few others gave the pair questioning looks. Tally waved nervously. They didn't wave back.

"What are you _doing_!" Darcy hissed under her breath.

"You scared- ... startled me! You startled me. Mind warning me next time?" She rubbed her shoulders as if they actually _hurt. _Darcy sneered.

"Don't be a fucking baby," she snapped, glaring at the people still staring so that they turned away at the blink of an eye. "Another rule. Don't attract attention to yourself. You act weird enough-"

"Hey!"

"- And do you have any idea what they'll do if they find out who we are? Where we're from? How we got here?"

Tally glared. "No, because I still have no idea how _you_ got here! I told you; you have to tell me. You owe me."

_There was a gate and this person and words and oh, God, blood, so much blood and the pain was red-hot, like fire and- _"They'll take you away," she finally blurted. She leaned forward, looking right into Tally's brown hues with her green ones. "They'll take you away and take you to a stupid lab with men in white coats and they'll experiment on you and torture you and poke and prod you with needles. You'll be dead in a few days, granted they give you some sort of fucked up injection while they cut your limbs off, one by one..."

Despite how ridiculous this claim was, Tally paled. "Shut up..." she muttered. "Stop. You're freaking me out."

Darcy inhaled sharply and in sucked the crazy in her eyes. She sat back down in her chair, folding her hands in her lap, like nothing had gone on at all. "I don't owe you, Kingston. I'm smarter than you. You'd be gone without me. _You_ owe _me._"

Tally stood up angrily. "Not true!" she said. "I'm not an idiot! Just because I don't spend my days reading math textbooks doesn't mean I'm retarded."

"Really, then? Can you do it?"

"Do what...?" her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Spend your days reading math textbooks?"

"..."

"This place is hard. People here, they're smart, smarter than you think. Their ... Their everything is different. Forget math textbooks! You'll have to look through college-level algebra books to find anything worth using." Okay, perhaps this was an exaggeration. But, hey, anything to get Tally to believe was fine by Darcy.

And it worked. She looked nervous, scared, almost. She bit down on her lower lip. "Okay, fine. So you can read textbooks. Big deal! I'm not an idiot."

_Jesus, are we really back to this again? _"Face it. You're _smart in your own way._" Her voice was mocking, like a sickly sweet teenage snob complimenting a naive loser. '_Am I pretty?' '__Oh, you have a great personality!' _"But that way doesn't work here."

Tally was quiet.

"That's what I thought," Darcy said smugly. "Now, do you agree?"

"Agree to what?"

"The rules. All of them."

"They're all stupid..." she murmured, looking down at her fingernails. "Especially the one about betraying people. I ... I don't ... it's not necessary."

"Agree and to the books we'll go."

Tally glanced at the volumes behind her and shrugged. "Alright. But on the off-chance we _do _make friends..."_  
><em>

"We won't."

"You said yourself plans can go wrong!" Tally snapped. While Darcy silently mulled this over, she jumped in again: "On the off-chance we _do _make friends, I'm not abandoning them, okay? It's stupid. And cruel."

"Playing the hero card?" Darcy mused. "Interesting. Don't expect me to drag your ass home."

"Oh, trust me, I won't."

There was a minute of quiet, but it wasn't a peaceful silence. It was tense, filled with unanswered questions and claims, rules that were unfair, facts that didn't make sense, pieces of the puzzle that were too big and too small and everything in between. Soon, Tally stood up, obviously not able to handle it much longer. She walked and disappeared into a row of shelves with books, above which was a sign labeled 'Biology'.

Darcy looked after her and sighed; she felt like she was babysitting a child. Tally Kingston was immature, annoying, and labeled crazy by many of her friends, whom she wholeheartedly agreed with. Everything about her, from her obsession with French and arts subjects (yet her barely passing grades in other grades) to the way she didn't notice peoples' stares whenever she acted strange screamed 'insane'. It was social suicide!

But here, she had to admit that having someone like Tally around would keep her grounded. Because a part of her was tempted to lie in bed and do nothing all day, even after doctors had operated on her. Do nothing but wallow in self pity and sorrow because, hey, what did she have now? A crazy frenemy? An enemyship with two members of the state? A few books? Some bare earnings from a brief restaurant stint?

In other words, nothing.

Tally wouldn't let her. Tally would keep her sane (in the loosest definition of the word) and make sure she did what she had to do to get home. Tally would drag her out of bed every morning so they could study and search and look for the truth. For home. Because if Tally was here, a piece of home was here. And that was all the motivation she needed.

And, yeah, okay, maybe she was a _teeny _bit terrified of everything and having Tally around showed her that there _was _connection to home somewhere, somehow, and that kept her from jumping off the highest building she could find.

But she would die before admitting that.

"Coming?" Tally poked her head around a shelf, a book in hand. Darcy nodded and pushed all thoughts out of her mind as she followed the teen back into the ocean of literature.

* * *

><p>If there was one thing Ed hated, it was being tricked.<p>

After much thought and observation, - and some encouragement from Al and Beth - he had finally decided to try and act a tiny bit less brash towards Tally, despite the rough introduction that had occurred during their first meeting. Besides, she hadn't done much but retort (quite uncleverly, he might add) to any comment he may have made. And, yeah, sure, maybe he had been sort of horribly rude but, hey, nothing they couldn't put behind them, right?

Wrong.

Because now, she probably knew all about their secrets, thanks to the satanic redhead (Delilah? Dena? Daria?). The last thing he had expected was _her _to be there, albeit out of the wheelchair she had been propped in during her stay in Central. Even in the metal rolling chair that rendered her crippled, she had been a menace, snooping, insulting to the best of her abilities (which, even he had to admit, were pretty polished), and being generally terrible to everyone. When she had been rolling down the street in Central, he had caught her eyes, which sparkled evilly. She smirked. He glared.

And things went downhill from there.

Now, he realized that Tally was buddy-buddy with the very girl who had nearly gotten Al sent off to a lab. Which meant she was probably evil, too. And they were probably currently in the library discussing what terrors to wreak next!

He _knew _she couldn't be trusted!

"Brother?"

Ed looked up, startled out of his thoughts by his younger brother's voice. "Yeah?"

"Can you at least _try _being kinder to Tally? She didn't do anything wrong!"

Ed snorted. "Right! Al, she's with that ... that girl! The one with the bright hair!"

Al sighed. "Darcy. That's her name, I think."

Edward clenched his hands into fists. "I don't care about her name. She ... She just started talking openly about your suit of armor! In public!"

"But that's _Darcy. _Tally wouldn't do that."

"How would you know? You barely know her!"

Al squared his chin. "I know her well enough to say that, Brother. She doesn't even know about my armor. She thinks it's a costume."

Ed had to swallow than a burst of laughter. _A costume? _he thought. _What kind of freaks does she think we are? _

"Still. I don't trust her." He crossed his arms stubbornly.

Alphonse sighed. "Well, fine. You don't have to trust her, but try being a little nicer."

"No promises."

* * *

><p>"This is useless!"<p>

Tally tossed yet another book onto the floor, wringing her hands like a mad woman. She certainly felt like one right now.

She and Darcy had been here for hours, now, and no information so far had been of _any _use! There were more textbooks here on biology and medical sciences than anything else. And almost nothing decent on supernatural sciences. Tally was about two crappy books away from tearing her hair out in frustration.

"Stop whining," came the silvery voice from behind a shelf. Darcy poked her head around the rows of books to glare. "We won't get anywhere by whining."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered darkly. "You actually like this stuff."

Darcy disappeared behind the shelf, running her fingers along the volumes. "Correction: the only thing I like right now, Poodle, is the thought of getting home."

Tally dropped her arms to her side. "'Poodle'? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Your hair."

Tally ran a finger along her curly dark locks and huffed. They were frizzier than usual today. "What about it?"

"You look like a poodle. Sort of an ugly one."

"Well, you're not Cinderella yourself," she shot back.

Darcy grinned. "Jealous?"

Tally took in her auburn waves. _Yes. _"You wish."

The redhead threw her head back and cackled. "Right. You are _so _jealous. Hey, why don't you just shave your head? Maybe then it won't classify as a deadly weapon." She leaned close, rubbing a strand of Tally's hair between her fingers. _  
><em>

The brunette pushed her away. "Fuck you."

"You wish," she mocked.

The past few hours had been anything but easy. Tally cursed herself for picking Darcy over the Elrics. At least Al was nice. Ed was tolerable. Darcy, on the other hand, was uncomfortable at best. Pain inducing - mentally - at worst. Paired with their failure of a search, pain inducing described her current state mildly.

"It's almost five," Tally pointed out after a few minutes of agonizing silence. "The Elrics'll be here soon to pick me up."

Darcy made a face. "Ditch 'em. You have me now."

Tally shook her head. "Can't. I'm not a bitch, remember?"

"Nope."

She narrowed her eyes. "No. I'm going with them."

Darcy was quiet for a moment, flipping through a particularly thick book. "They're freaks," she finally said. "They're both freaks."

Tally looked up from a chemistry textbook, from which she was trying to dissect the geek-speak from normal-speak. "Say what?"

The auburn-haired girl ignored this inquiry. Instead, she chose to sigh and stand up, picking a few books up off the ground as she did so. "We're going to Central."

Tally furrowed her eyebrows. "What? When did we decide this?"

"We didn't. I did."

"Thank you _so _much for asking for my opinion. I really appreciate it." Tally's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Central has the biggest library in all of Amestris," Darcy explained. Tally nearly missed the excited spark in her eyes. Nearly.

"So?"

"So we'll be bound to find information there. On all sorts of things. I wanna look into alchemy."

Tally stood up and began to put a few books back on the shelf. She gave Darcy a confused look. "Alchemy...? What's that?" It sounded like a type or cooking spray or something. Foreign. With chemicals.

"Honestly? It's confusing. A science and magic and physics are mixed into one." Darcy stuffed a thin volume between its siblings. "There are certain rules and laws that apply to it. But you can do almost anything."

Tally snorted. "Yeah, right! That sounds ridiculous."

The words were barely out of her mouth when something was shoved in her hands. This something had pages and pages and pages. It was labeled 'Advanced Alchemic Theories Throughout History'. Tally blinked at it.

"Page eighteen, paragraph three." The redhead examined her nails like, no, this wasn't weird at all.

"How do you-"

"I knew you were gonna want proof of alchemy. I did, too." She snapped her fingers urgently. "Go to the page."

Tally narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to snap your fingers at me! What am I? A puppy?"

"A poodle, to be exact. Now flip."

Tally did flip. She flipped her off.

Darcy sighed. "Okay, fine, fine. Sorry, Pood- Kingston."

Tally sighed, but obeyed, knowing this was the closest she'd get to a proper name. She opened the book, flipping through the pages with clumsy fingers until she reached her destination. She lifted the book closer to her face and read aloud:

_"Introduction to alchemy: alchemy is a scientific study and demonstration of manipulating molecular makeup. Its primary mission is to break down and reconstruct anything from the most simple elements to those of complex structure. Three stages are thought of in alchemy. The first is to study and take in the chemical composition of the object and understand everything, down to even the lesser components. The second is to begin the process of breaking it down, into individual- _Okay. This is just weird. What does this all mean?"

Darcy gave a sigh. "Here. I'll put it into stupid terms for you. You draw a pattern - known as a transmutation circle - and clap and slam your hands down on it. A pretty little light shines and boom! What you just transmuted turns into something new."

Tally stared at her for a few moments before bursting into laughter. "Y-You're joking!" she giggled. "That's hilarious. Pretty little light? Turns into something new? And I'm a cat!"

Darcy clenched her hands into fists, glaring. "I'm not bullshitting you. It's real."

"Right. Have you ever done this little mystical alchemy before?" she teased.

"I've gotten close. I keep messing up the formula ... o-or something..." Her previous attempts _should _have been perfect! She had done all she was supposed to - drawn the circles to perfection, though it took her hours. She had gotten the correct materials, and had the exact image of what she wanted in her mind. The composition had been correct down to the last grams. Yet, when she had pressed her palms down ... nothing. Not a single spark. Those materials lay there, mocking her. _You can't do it! You can't do it! _She had scowled and tried again. And again. And again. And again.

Nothing.

"Well, then you can't prove it to me!" Tally continued smugly.

"I can, too!" she snapped.

"Can not!" Tally sing-songed.

"Can too!"

"Can not!"

"Can too!"

"Prove it." She grinned mischeviously. "Do it."

Darcy uncurled her fists and blinked. "What? Now?"

"Right here. You claim to be the Almighty Alchemy-Person-"

"Alchemist," the other girl sigh-corrected.

"Whatever. So prove it. Right now."

"Fine!" she hissed. "I will!"

She snatched the book from Tally's unexpecting hands. The brunette stared as she flipped through the pages angrily, obviously not expecting those actions to occur at such a speed. Nonetheless, Darcy was soon at her desired page, for she was examining it with critically narrowed eyes.

_I'll show her! _she prayed.

"I need materials," she said.

Tally cocked her head to the side. "What kind?"

"Anything. Preferably wood." Wood was easy. Simple. Easy to carve and manipulate its fibers to her desires.

The girl nodded and looked around. Her eyes landed on a tiny wooden figurine decoration that lay on the table. She eagerly snatched it up and handed it to her. "Here. This'll do, right?"

Darcy observed it closely. _Me? Stalling? No, of course not! _"Yup," she finally said. It was mahogany-colored, shaped like a little sphere. _Good, _she thought. _Easy and simple._

She set it on top of the circle. Then, she took deep, slightly shaky breath. She closed her eyes, remembering her books and instructions. _Calm and clear the mind as much as possible. Remember only your task at hand. Press your hands to the circle, exact compositional breakdown in mind and-_

Without warning, she slammed her hands down onto the circle...

... and ...

...

...

...

Nothing.

Tally clicked her tongue apprehensively. "Wow. Great job. No joke. It's absolutely amazing. Really. I'm astounded." She held one hand to her heart and used the other to brush a faux-tear away, all the while smirking.

"I ... my formula wasn't right."

"Yeah! Maybe! Or ... maybe you just suck at alchemy."

Darcy did all she could to ignore this, staring intently at the book. Then she snapped up, pretending to have had an epiphany. "Wait! The circle is incorrect!" she lied. "My formula was flawless."

Tally snorted. "Liar. This book was written by some really smart person! He wouldn't have gotten the design wrong."

"I'm telling you, it's-"

"The circle's fine."

Both girls looked up from their argument to see who had dared to intrude upon them. And there, lo and behold, stood a blonde. A short blonde with long hair and bright red coat. Beside this blonde was a suit of armor.

The Elric brothers.

Darcy stood up angrily. Out of all the people to show up, it had to be the two most famous alchemists in all of Amestris. Not to mention, the most infuriating boys (that sort of hated her guts) in all of the world. And, to make things a tad bit worse, they were sort-of-friends with her frenemy. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Al pointed to the library clock. "It's five," he answered and Darcy's stomach sank. _Shit. _

Ed, however, made no move to signal any sort of interest in the time, and what came with five o'clock. Instead, he took a seat beside Tally, and pulled the book with the transmutation circle close to him. Tally edged away, but gazed at it with mild curiosity.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Ed drawled in a way that made Darcy very quite sure he _had _meant to overhear all along, "and I just wanted to say that there's nothing wrong with the circle."

Darcy scowled. "Well, woo hoo. What an honor to hear this. Now that you're done, why don't you just go along on your merry business?"

Edward glared at her, but grabbed the little figurine on the circle and straightened it. Darcy huffed and pretended she wasn't hanging on his every movement, following his hands as they fiddled together. Then, without warning, he slammed his palms down on the circle...

And it _glowed. _

It glowed in a very out-of-this-world way, and Darcy gawked at the blue-white light that shone brightly. Even a few others in the library looked at it with awe. Tally squeaked and fell out of her chair.

Once the light died down, Darcy's eyes widened. Right where the little sphere-shaped figurine had rested moments ago was now a tiny dog shaped statue. Same material, same color, same size, different shape. Different.

He had done what she had failed to.

Darcy was busy fuming when Tally scrambled back up, looking at the little dog with awe. She reached out a cautious finger and poked it lightly. When it fell over, she gasped. "I-It's real!"

"It's alchemy," Alphonse explained. "You simply shift the composition and the shape and it changes form."

"So ... so alchemy really _does _exist," Tally breathed.

"Told you!" Darcy shot in. "I _told _you alchemy existed!"

Tally turned red. "Well, that was different! You couldn't do it. You had no proof."

It was Darcy's turn to pinken, although it was more from anger than embarassment. "I ... right. These guys have had tons of practice. I haven't."

"Actually," Ed put in smugly. "We got our first transmutation right on our first try."

"Brother!" Al elbowed his older brother and gave him a look. "Don't gloat!"

"Well, it's true, Al!"

At this point, Darcy was considering different methods of torture suitable for the Elrics (cut their fingers off, first? Or toes?). If she was back in her own world, no one would _dare _humiliate her like this! Hell, hallway crowds parted like the Red Sea when she crossed. One look at her and they knew: _don't mess with this girl. _

Apparently, things were different around here. And Darcy didn't like it one bit. Not one bit.

She grabbed Tally's wrist, pulling her in the opposite direction. "Come on, Kingston. We've got work to do."

Tally twisted free of her grasp. "Cut that out, will you? And no, I can't come. Beth says I've got to stay with the Elrics."

"Beth? Who the hell is Beth?"

"This woman. She took care of me since I was here. I would have died without her. Or gotten kidnapped. Whichever came first..."

"So? You can break a few rules, no problem."

"I _can't._"

"You promised, remember? You promised you wouldn't get close to people."

There was a bit of silence in which Darcy was sure she had won. But then Tally looked up and squared her chin. "Number one: Beth isn't 'people'. She's Beth. Number two: Listen. She's done a lot for me. This is the least I can do in return. She'd be real disappointed if I disobeyed."

This statement did nothing but agitate Darcy even more. She gripped her hips and scowled. Because, well, sure, maybe they were in a different world. Maybe they were part of a different society. Maybe they were among a different hierarchy. But _still. _She was Darcy Robertson, for fuck's sake! People loved her. Girls envied her. Boys wanted her. Her parents showed her off. Others obeyed her.

So who the fuck did Tally Kingston think she was?

She pursed her lips, then. "Fine. We'll listen to the Elrics. But then we're going to Central. Okay?"

Tally nodded. "Sounds like a deal. But, uh, your outfit..."

Darcy looked down at her body, still encased in the hideous hospital gown. Tally had managed to switch clothes before their library trip. "Oh, yeah. I'll have to change. Go talk to the brothers and I'll go find something semi-decent to wear."

And before Tally could answer, she turned on her heel and walked off, trying to seem like she didn't care, one way or another, what Tally thought of her command.

Because she was Darcy Robertson. And people obeyed her, no matter what.

* * *

><p>When Tally got back to the Elrics, she was expecting anger. Rage, yelling, making a scene. General negativity. Anything of such a nature, really. Instead, she was greeted with suspicion. She wanted to protest the claim she had been stuck with, but a quick recount of her story immediately blanched that attempt: a teenager an odd one, no less, with a strange case of amnesia. Taken to a hospital, upon direct order of a blonde hippie. And friends with an enemy of her escortsbodyguards/babysitters/nuisances. Yes, the truth was blatant. Tally Kingston _was _suspicious.

But that didn't mean she had to like it.

"You know her?" Ed demanded, the second she got back.

Tally frowned at his rudeness - he could have at least let her say hello! - before answering. "Yeah. Sort of."

"Where did you guys meet?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously, and the girl found herself staring. They were the oddest hue she had ever seen. _Gold. _Like honey. She had never seen such a color before. Brown, hazel, blue, green, gray. An occasional purple or unusually bright color, perhaps. _That _was the norm. But gold? That was just weird.

She shook these thoughts from her head before managing to think up an excuse, for the truth to his inquiry was a lie. She had met Darcy in Winevra, at school. But Winevra didn't exist here (she shoved that stomach-wrenching thought away quickly). She needed an excuse.

"Erm, well..." Sweat tickled at the back of her neck. "We met for a bit before I got to Beth's place, see. And, uh, we both have ... issues. Medical issues. And stuff. So we kind of bonded over that."

Ed looked even more confused. Luckily, Al cut him off before any more inquiries could be made. "How did your hospital visit go?"

Tally instantly relaxed. "It was okay. The usual checkup. Darcy just went off and promised she'd pick up my results and-" She noticed the dark look that passed the older brother's face. "What's wrong?"

Edward blinked, like was snapping out of some deep thought. "Huh?"

"That face you were making. It looks like you just ate bad sushi or something. You must really hate her."

"I just ... we haven't exactly had the best history..."

"What _happened_?"

Silence. She bit her lip and turned to the younger brother, eyes wide for an explanation.

"We just got off on the wrong foot," he offered cryptically.

Both seemed very suspicious (she wanted to laugh at the irony of it); there was obviously more to the story then they were letting on, and she sighed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes before crossing her arms. "You guys are _way _too secretive."

The brothers exchanged glances.

"But..." At this, she raised a finger, pointing it fiercely at the two. "Mark my words! The Elric brother mystery will not go unveiled! I'll find out one day!" She grinned with determination.

"Don't count on it."

The three turned in the direction of the snarky voice. And there stood Darcy Robertson, in a fresh blouse and pants, a haughty look on her face. In her arms were two folders - which Tally presumed to be her results. The brunette could vaguely hear a sarcastic, "Great..." mumbled from a certain Elric. Another Elric, this one being more kind and tolerable, nudged him with a, "Be nice, Brother."

Darcy gave said Elrics an innocent smile before turning to Tally, holding up two train tickets. "Come on, Poodle. We've got a train to catch."

* * *

><p>Darcy Robertson was a very scientific girl. All her beliefs were based on fact and truth. She didn't dare shed any possibility in the theory of <em>fate<em>. It was completely stupid, the idea that some things were just laid out to happen, with no aid needed by humankind. Ridiculous.

Of course, there _were _moments that just seemed too coincidental, too _how the fuck did this happen _and _what are the chances? _

Such as this current moment.

"Where are you two heading?" Al asked.

Darcy snapped, "None of your-"

Tally kicked her lightly. "Central City. The library."

And then It happened.

"Brother, isn't that where we're heading?"

Ed's eyes widened. "What? Central? _The _Central?"

"There're two Centrals?" Tally wondered out loud.

The three glanced at her confusedly for a few seconds before turning back to their conversation.

"Yes, we're heading to _the _Central," Darcy said with a roll of her eyes. "Where else?"

There was a bout of awkward silence, before Edward spoke up, grimly. "Well, as fate would have it, that's where we're heading."

The redhead's stomach clenched. "_What?" _she screeched.

"I know you heard me," he replied. "Central city."

"But ... you can't!"

"Actually, we _can! _And we are!"

"But ... But..."

Tally spoke up. "Hey, can we all just skip the arguing and just _go_?"

Alphonse nodded. "She's right; fighting won't change a thing."

"And besides, I'm hungry," the brunette added.

Darcy blinked. What was Tally _doing_? Making friends? With the enemy? The nerve of her! She glared at the girl, who simply rolled her eyes in return and mouthed, _Get over it. _

And then something else hit her.

_What was _she _doing? _

Acting like a child. Whining. Pouting. Complaining. Doing all the things she sneered at back at home, the habits she used to be glad she dropped.

And if her friend was acting more mature than she was, something was definitely wrong. Very wrong.

So she bit her tongue, squared her shoulders and pasted a smile on. "Fine, then. Shall we go?"

Tally gave her a curious look, but kept her mouth shut, for which she was grateful. "Not yet," she said. "I need to call Beth first, and let her know." She turned to the Elrics. "I'll only be a few minutes."

Ed frowned. "Hurry."

She nodded. "I'll be right back!" And she ran out of the library, hopping over dropped books and dodging people along the way, leaving Darcy alone with the Elric Brothers.

Darcy turned to said brothers with a mischievous smirk. "So, I suppose we're all stuck together, eh, Shrimp Boy?"

"WHY YOU-!"

* * *

><p>There was a payphone right outside the hospital, and it looked relatively easy to use, for which Tally was grateful. She wasn't accustomed, at all, to the old-fashioned telephones that littered this strange place, so some familiar technology was like a glimpse of home. As she walked over, she made a split second, stomach-clenching decision.<p>

A decision that The Voice was currently mocking.

_You're going to tell Beth the truth? The whole truth, this time? _

_Yes! I have to! _she thought. _I'm going to die if I don't, keeping it a secret from everyone!_

_Save for the ginger._

_She doesn't count as human. Anyway, I have this weird feeling. That Beth may help me find some answers. _

_Ha! _The Voice chided. _Yeah, right! Your feelings always lead to trouble! _

_But I have to take this chance!_

_No, you don't. Are you an idiot? Beth will know how psycho you are and send you to some crazy hospital!_

Tally stopped walking, though her heartbeat broke into a run. _Sh-She wouldn't do that!_

_Oh, yes, she would. No one wants a mental friend. _

_She wouldn't! I know she wouldn't!_

_Oh, so now you know her completely, after living with her for one week? Please. You're just as crazy as she'll give you merit for once she hears your story._

"Shut up," she muttered to herself, resuming her walking. "Shut up, shut up, shut up."

When she finally reached/bumped into the payphone, the voice had slithered away, much to her relief. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a few cens (the odd currency which Amestris used) along with a small piece of paper on which Beth had scrawled her digits in uncharacteristically messy writing. She dialed quickly and waited.

"Hello?"

At Beth's voice - as serene as ever -, her nerves calmed down and she stood up straighter. "H-Hi. It's me."

She could practically _hear _the smile in her voice. "Oh! Tally. I was waiting for your call."

"Oh," said Tally, not quite knowing what else to say to this. "That was nice of you. Thanks." She cleared her throat and shifted her feet.

Luckily, she was saved from awkward silence. "How did your appointment go?"

"Good. Well, I think it did. I have the results, see, but I haven't looked through them yet."

"Ah. Well, I suggest looking through them as soon as possible. If you have any issues, then it's best to get them sorted out with the doctor before you come back to Kriasin, right?"

It was time to drop the bomb. Tally swallowed hard and shut her eyes. "A-Actually ... I'm not coming back." She waited for the explosion.

There was a few seconds of surprised silence before, "Why not?" Beth's voice was tinged with curiosity, not outrage, so Tally let herself breathe.

"Well..." She took a deep breath. "ImetafriendtodayandI-"

"Slow down," the blonde on the other end laughed. "Don't be nervous. I won't bite."

"O-Okay. I ... I met a friend today."

"Did you?"

"Yeah. Her name's Darcy and ... she likes studying."

_Smooth. _

_Shut up. _

"Wow. That's great. Studying will take one far, no matter what the field may be."

"Yeah. I know. So, she invited me to travel with her and stuff. Like ... study."

_You've been hit by a smooth criminal!_

_Shut _up.

"Ah. And you wish to go?"

"Yes. I do." She paused, then rushed on, "I really hope you're not offended, because it isn't personal, and I really, really didn't want to tell you like this but I thought another train ride back to Kriasin would be expensive and inconvenient and-"

"Tally, I'm not mad."

"-and no one likes inconvenience, unless you're, like, a total freak, Which I totally don't think you are and- wait. You're okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm not your boss, sweetie. Nor am I your mother." She sounded amused.

_Yes, but you're the closest thing I've had to one. _"Oh. True. But ... I just thought..."

"I'm glad you're beginning to make a life for yourself here. Amnesia can be traumatizing. And you're getting over it, which is fantastic."

"Y-Yeah..."

"You go on ahead with your friend," Beth said kindly. "I'm fine here, you know."

"Okay." She didn't know what to think. She was too relieved to feel anything but glad. Then, another thought struck her. "Oh! Beth, I have something else to tell you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Er. Okay. Uh..."

How could she put this?

_I'm from a different world._

_I'm not from this dimension._

_I don't have amnesia; that was a lie because I don't want to go to a mental hospital!_

_I'm a dirty liar. _

"Er ... I don't want you freaking out on me, okay?"

"Tally? What is it?"

"And it's not a big deal, but you have to promise not to tell and not to freak out."

"I promise."

"Okay. I ... I..."

Suddenly, a smooth, technical voice cut into their conversation. "Please insert ten more cens to continue this conversation."

Tally reached into her pocket and came up with ... nine. Nine cens.

"Shit!" she hissed, stuffing them into the slot quickly and hoping for the best.

The voice popped up again: "One more cen, please."

"I don't have one more, you bitch!" she spat. A few passing pedestrians gave her odd looks.

"This call is now ending," the Troll-Voice continued. "Thank you for using Grodowne Telephone Lines. We look forward to seeing you next time!"

"What? No!" she cried out. "I need to talk to Beth! Beth! Wait! Don't go! I love you! I'm an alien! Fuck this!" With a final growl, she slammed the phone down on the receiver and stomped out of the payphone.

_You've been hit by a-_

_I AM NOT IN THE MOOD!_

* * *

><p><strong>*hides from thrown fries, pans, and purses* i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry! <strong>

**okay. yes. this update is late. *dodges more thrown objects* okay, okay, very late! i get it! i'm sorry! a lot of shit has happened and thus, this lateness has been born. eheheh... *scratches back of neck nervously***

**okay! fine! i admit it! writer's block has struck me! Dx**

**and it's downright _awful. _sitting down and looking at the paper and trying to write but everything turning out crappy. :( worst. experience. ever! that, paired with my art, dance, school, homework, and social life has equaled to a very busy Lia. and a busy Lia is a non-updating Lia. **

**though i'm sure most of you are pissed at all kinds of Lias right now. **

**however, this chapter is over six thousand words long! that's good, right? right? right?**

**...**

**erm.**

**well. **

**it seems as if Lia is going crazy. lucky for you, i have a friend named Ana - who Darcy is based of off, which should give you a clear perspective on her - who forced me to write this. and i also discovered some cool music! the inspiring kind! that killed my writer's block, and gave me enough time to finish it before it could retaliate! *shifts eyes, clutches spork menacingly* but i'm still on my guard. we never know when it can strike... **

**:D**

**now! it's time to reply to the beauties that reviewed this little story of mine (i'm gonna let it shine!). **

**Moka-girl: yup! an update, that was! ^_^  
><strong>

**you're leaving the country? :O woah! that sounds fun. but...**

**NO INTERNET? FOR TWO WEEKS?**

**dude. *tips hat* kudos to you for surviving. **

**Rokuchuchu: it is, isn't it? :D reading long chapters = awesomesauce. **

**Naruto fandom? wow. i'm not that into Naruto, but you guys are lucky to be able to read long ficcies. :3 **

**eheheh ... update before you forget, right ... erm ... hopefully, this is good enough. ^_^ **

**SweetSirendipity: i'm real glad to hear you like the chapters! i try my best, hehe. and although my best may not be the best, it's still not bad, no? **

***sigh* yup. she probably should have gone with the Elric brothers. but Tally just craved understanding. Darcy, as annoying as she is, offered her that. so there's her decision. **

**hmm ... perhaps Darcy does know. i suppose we'll just have to see, won't we? ;) **

**faded colors: nooo! spare the baby seals! they're so ... so ... BEAUTIFUL.****my cries! **

**aww. :) thank you for all the sweet words, m'dear. ^^ they kind of made my day, to be honest. :D **

**hmm. she _is _the anti-Tally, isn't she? that's a cool way of looking at it. and, yup, she is pretty important, to be honest. who doesn't love the main character being stuck with her enemy? **

**yup, Tally snapping and causing harm/murder to Darcy would not be ... convenient. hehe. fun, perhaps, but not helpful to her goal. so they're pretty much stuck together. :P **

**however, if hurting Darcy would spare the baby seal ... *holds out Darcy with a grin* she's all yours.**

***sighs* fiiine. *takes Darcy back with a pout* you're no fun. **

**the only ones that fall into odd worlds and think, _'TIME FOR A LOVE STORY!' _are ... MARY SUES. and no one likes those. no one. no oooonee. **

**here's the next chapter! ^_^ i hope you enjoy!**

**NinjaCatNyan: hello, Melting Snow! :P *eyebrow waggle* how do you fare?  
><strong>

**Rarity scoff? four for you, Glen Coco! four for you! :D **

**yeah, i probably did put her in too fast. *shrugs* but that was the way i imagined it, so...**

**my brain has its reasons. **

**we have the same death theories? *gasps* oh my god! i've found another weirdo! see, Ana? i _told _you i wasn't the only one! *smug look* **

**Ana: keep telling yourself that.**

**shut up! **

**TheBonesOfMe: oooh! it's my sexy twinster! :D hello, darling. :3  
><strong>

**pfft. my updates are always sextactical! mwahahaha! **

**the first two: yupyup!**

**and then...**

**ROY, IF YOU CORRUPT MY BABY SISTER I WILL CUT OFF YOUR BALLS AND MAKE THEM INTO HATS.**

**juniperlei: well, you'll just have to read on, won't you? ;) not giving away spoilers! *evil grin*  
><strong>

**TheWaffleAlchemist: yupyup! she is pretty crucial, you'll see.  
><strong>

**interesting, mean and cruel are all good words to describe her, though. ;) *hands you lollipop* **

***sighs and pats Tally on shoulder* hehe. yup! Al and Beth have decided to spare her from their clutches. Ed and Darcy, on the other hands ... not so much.**

**and there you have it, folks! those awesomesauce mcsexy sexy pants that reviewed! ;) if you would like to be viewed in such high level in my mind, then review, my lovelies, review! :D **

**thank you to all those that read, review, skim through, alert, favorite, or even think, _this looks cool. _**

**seriously, though. the words of readers can carry a writer on wings. and i'm soaring high.**

**:D **

**good god, that was cheesy as fuck, wasn't it? *sighs* sorry about that. **

**well, that's all for now, docs! buh-bye! *disappears in a poof of rainbow-colored smoke* **


	8. Of Explanations, Books, and Red Hands

_You know what Darcy said about fate? She had a point. I was never one to believe in things like that either. But, there are moments. Moments too ... too stringed together. Too perfect. And sometimes, you look back at them and look at the consequences, the result - good or bad -, and you think, _Could it have been avoided?

_Maybe it could have. Maybe it was inevitable. _

_But the truth is that it happened. And things happen for a reason. I'm not saying there's some higher power, some universe, ruling over everything and writing this down. Because that just brings me back to my I'm-An-Agnostic-Because argument, which I'm sure you're quite tired of. But there is always a reason, a motive, behind every action. And it can't be avoided because it happened, and you did it and you can't undo the past. _

_..._

_That made so much more sense when I said it in my head. _

* * *

><p>The seating could have been avoided, of course, but the four made a tiny decision to sit together on the train. Perhaps it was not the best ideas, as two of them (and it doesn't take a genius to know who) argued almost the entire way there, and one of them attempted to talk over them and make peace and the other just gave a little eye-roll and took to looking out the window and thinking of themself as a higher power than the other three.<p>

But it happened.

And that was that.

* * *

><p>"Found anything of use?"<p>

"Not a thing."

Tally gave a little sigh and ducked behind the bookshelf once more, running her finger over the spines and observing their titles with intense concentration. She hadn't known what she had been expecting in Central's Library. It was _huge, _yes. But when she had asked the librarian about books including those of non-fiction supernatural material and alchemy, she had directed her to a small section. She and Darcy had skimmed through it, and when they found nothing, Tally had gone back and asked the librarian if they had anything else.

"Not for you," the woman had said cryptically with a shake of her head.

"What do you mean, 'not for me'?" Tally used hand quotation marks to emphasize her point.

"What I _mean,_" the librarian - Georgia, her name tag informed her - said in a rather annoyed tone of voice, stamping a library emblem stamp onto the inside of a book with force, "is that you do not have the authority to get into the more ... detailed information." She punctuated her sentence by slamming the book's cover shut and staring at Tally. "Can I help you with anything else?"

"How do I get the authority?" Tally asked quickly.

"Sorry." She didn't sound very sorry at all. "Only State Alchemists can access that information. It's classified." She gave a tight smile. "Anything else?"

"What's a State Alchemist...?"

_Now _her annoyance looked blunt, and not fabricated by a professional blanket. "Ma'am, are you trying to be funny?"

"What?" Tally's eyes widened. "I'm not, seriously! I don't know what a State Alchemist is! I mean, I know they do alchemy and stuff - duh - but what makes them so different from a regular ol' alchemist?" When the lady didn't look convinced, Tally held out her pinky finger invitingly. "Pinky swear," she said seriously.

Georgia had gazed at her pinky with a look of disapproval. "A State Alchemist is an alchemist of the highest caliber and skill, recruited into the military to help."

"Help with?"

"Anything they're needed for. Is that all, ma'am?" Georgia looked as if she sincerely hoped it was all.

Tally gave a little sigh. "Yeah. Thanks." And she had trudged away, ready to get her sulk on.

Or, she would have, if Darcy hadn't snatched her up and demanded she help before she killed her.

And so here she was, once again chained to the boredom of looking through non-fiction books and text, struggling to decipher their contents. Even Darcy didn't seem to be getting much progress done; she occasionally piped up with a random fact, that Tally would listen to and pretend to care about, before moving on.

"Equivalent Exchange is the main principle of alchemy."

"Wow."

"And it has sort of sub categories, like The Law of Conservation of Mass and The Law of Natural Providence."

"Fascinating."

"Oh! A rebound- are you even listening?"

"No."

Darcy huffed. "This is interesting and _important_!"

"Okay, the second one, yeah. But the first? No. I don't get any of this!"

"Right. I forgot: you have the vocabulary of a ten year old."

Tally narrowed her eyes. "Shut up. I do not." She whipped a book at the auburn-haired girl. It bounced off her thigh and hit the floor. "I just think it's more important to know interesting words instead of geeky words. Like ... like ... agrestic!"

Darcy raised an eyebrow.

"It means awkward and unpolished."

"Oh, so it means 'Tally'."

The other girl pursed her lips, turning away. "Forget it."

"Gladly."

The two sat in silence, Darcy skimming through books and Tally staring into space. She didn't want to be here. She was craving a movie theater right now, actually. Popcorn and soda and candy and air conditioning and a good Disney movie. But Disney probably didn't exist here. And with that realization came motivation.

She had to keep searching! For Mickey and Minnie and Tinker Bell and Mulan and Simba and Nala and-

"AHA!"

The brunette yelped, jumping a bit at her frenemy's sudden outburst. "What the-"

"I've found it!"

"Found _what_?" she asked, glaring.

"The answer to our problems! Right here, in this science journal!"

Tally's eyes widened, and she rushed to the teen's side. "What is it?" she said breathlessly. "What'd you find?"

Darcy placed a finger on a paragraph and read aloud: _"With recent studies, scientists have even gone as far as to say there are more dimensions in this universe. 'I have no doubt of that,' says Geffrey Ringer, acclaimed philosopher and alchemist. 'My studies of alchemy and thoughts and ideas have led me to this conclusion. Perhaps we won't have proof of this for years, but it will occur one day.'" _She broke off from the book's text for a second. "I read something earlier on this guy. He's very famous. He's predicted a lot of things like meteors and star alignments and things, and they've all come true. He's the real deal."

"So it's true..." Tally whispered, clenching her hands into fists. "We _are _in a different dimension? We're his predictions?"

Darcy rolled her eyes, but even she looked a bit shaken. "Stop being a baby," she commanded. "Read on. There's more."

And Tally did, picking up from where they had left off. _"Geffrey Ringer has been researching this possibility for years. 'They called me crazy,' he says. 'But the joke is on them, as I have developed a rough conclusion: alchemy, human transmutations, and death. When we die, perhaps we are reborn somewhere else. This idea has belonged to radicals and the religious for years. But alchemy is a different kind of science, and whilst exploring the magic behind it, I have come to the result that it may even have the ability to teleport, and break a human being apart before putting them back together, in a different area. Or, perhaps, a different dimension!'"_

Darcy frowned. "I didn't read that part..."

Tally grinned, pointing to it. "It's right there! Genius, right?"

"I don't know."

"What? You were the one who showed me this!"

"I know," she said, grimacing. "But I hadn't read that part."

Tally looked curious. "What's wrong with it...?"

Darcy stared at Tally like she had just announced that Alexander McQueen was not godly. "Are you insane? This guy's totally crazy!"

"But it makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, isn't alchemy all about breaking things down and recreating them as something new?"

"_Yes, _but that's real! Teleportation is just a fairy tale. Human transmutation is forbidden, even! A taboo! There's always a rebound, and no one that's ever attempted it has survived!"

"A rebound...?"

"It's basically an alchemic disturbance. The whole transmutation goes wrong, and the consequences can be deadly."

Tally's brown eyes widened. "Woah..."

"Exactly. See why we can't do this?" Darcy shook her head and set the book aside. "Useless." She sighed. "Back to square one, then..."

And she settled back on the floor and opened up a book, this time looking decidedly less optimistic. Tally frowned at this, and glanced at the book. It seemed to stare back at her. A few words jumped out in her mind: _They called me crazy. _

Didn't that make them just as close-minded?

"Wait. Darcy." Tally snatched the volume up and knelt down. Her frenemy hummed in acknowledgement, not paying attention.

"Listen. I think we should give this a try."

Darcy looked up and, upon noticing the familiar book in her hands, groaned. "No, don't. Don't even start. This is shit, okay?"

"Look! These skeptics all called him crazy, too! If we do it, then ... then we're no better than them."

"No, you listen to me. This stuff is just taboo, all of it! Do you want to die before we get back home?"

Tally sighed. "We won't die! Trust me! I think this guy's on to something!"

"Oh, great! Now you're crazy, too!"

"We're both 'crazy', don't you see?!"

Darcy was silent. Then, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tally took a breath. "Okay. Say, by some miracle, we one day decide to publish _our _story in a book."

"If you ever do that, I swear, I will-"

"Listen to me!"

And though it seemed it took some effort, Darcy shut up and gestured for her to continue, her lips tight and tense.

"If we ever wrote our stories, it would go like this. We ... We died. I got hit by a car and you ... well, I don't know what happened to you but it's probably bad, too, right?" The redhead nodded. "Well, after we died, we woke up. And we were in a different dimension. A different world. We don't know how we got here, but we're here. Can you imagine their reactions, on Earth _or _on Amestris?"

"...They'd think we were psychopaths."

"_Exactly_!" Tally smiled, glad she was getting it. "We have no right to consider him crazy when people would do the same to us. It just makes us hypocrites. And," she broke off, gesturing to the piles of books around them and the near empty shelves, "this is our first lead. We need to take it and see where it leads."

"And if it's a bust?"

"Then we toss it aside and move on."

There was a moment of silence and, for a second, Tally was afraid Darcy would just call her crazy and then just ditch her. After all, she didn't have to stay. And her argument wasn't the strongest in the world.

But Darcy just nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Fine. We'll go visit this guy and ask him."

"Great!" Tally smiled her relief. "And now we have something to specify our research to!"

"I suppose so. Now, back to work. Search for books on Geffrey Ringer. I'm going out."

"What?!" Tally looked confused as Darcy stood up. "Where are you going?"

Darcy shrugged nonchalantly. "I need air. I'm exploring HQ, okay?"

Tally looked confused, but she shrugged, giving a little nod. "Be back in fifteen minutes, max, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah."

And she left, leaving Tally alone with the books. She stared at them for a second before biting her lip and nodding firmly. "Fairy tales it is."

* * *

><p>The hallways were relatively empty, much to Darcy's surprise. She hadn't visited a military base before, but she had expected crowds of busy soldiers and officers. However, save for a few passerby, she was greeted with an odd kind of silence. The kind that was sort of loud yet sort of quiet and too calm to be true.<p>

She disliked it. A lot. In fact, she would even go as far as to say she _hated _it. And Darcy was not one to throw feelings like that around.

A lanky soldier walked by her, his eyes trained on her walking figure. She stood up straighter, hoping for a whistle or a wink or a cat call or some familiar gesture of _home. _Instead, all she got was a sneeze and and two coughs before the man wiped his hand over his freckled nose and disappeared down the hallway.

_Charming, _Darcy thought bitterly.

Although, really, she was just pissed. And she was pissed because she felt strikingly ... _alone. _She paused, standing by herself in the middle of the hallway. No one behind her or in front of her or flanking her sides like minions. Had she been any other girl, perhaps she would have cried or panicked or looked down. Her mother's words seemed to dance around her ears and into her mind. _A lady is always ladylike. Even in the roughest of situations._

She thought for a minute.

She wasn't on Earth.

Her back was probably fucked up for life, despite the procedure the doctors had done to it.

No one liked her or worshiped her here.

She was all alone.

Besides Tally, but she didn't count her because she was weird.

Darcy bit her lip, surprised at the sudden stinging behind her eyes. It was faint and probably going to die soon but it was there. And she didn't want it there because she was Darcy Robertson and she didn't cry. However, she probably would have broken down, if not for the voices.

She thought they were coming from her head at first - _Great! Just what I need on top of all this other crap: a therapist!_ - but she stood and listening quietly and soon realized that they were coming from the door she was standing beside. She glanced at the plaque in the wood.

**_Colonel Roy Mustang_**

There were two voices from what she could hear: a deep voice, but not too deep so that it rumbled. Manly and strong and the kind that probably belonged to a guy that liked to wear lots of aftershave and pose in front of the mirror.

The second voice was also male, but younger and rougher and, "Damnit, Colonel, spit it out!"

Darcy's eyes widened. She took a few inaudible steps towards the door, leaning her head towards it slightly, ignoring her mother's voice: _No, no! A lady never snoops! Your reputation will be ruined, lest they find out!_

But her reputation here was probably tattered anyway, so fuck it.

A smile played at her lips as the voices began to rise. She guessed the deeper one belonged to Roy Mustang, the Colonel. And the boyish one...

_Edward Elric._

Darcy's fingers reached up to yank the teal headband out of her hair. She set it on the floor gently, and bent her knees slightly, reaching out her arm towards the floor, as if she were looking to retrieve her accessory. The position wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was necessary. If anyone were to wander past and ask why she was eavesdropping, she could easily claim to be picking up her fallen item.

Perfect.

Her ears strained to hear.

"Calm down, Fullmetal," said the Colonel.

"Mustang!" That confirmed her guess. "Hand over the damn file, will you?!"

"Touchy, aren't we?"

"ARGH!"

Darcy bit her tongue, stifling a giggle. She liked this Roy Mustang guy already.

"You said you'd have something useful today!"

"Useful? All military missions are 'useful', be it the loosest sense of the word."

"Useful to _me! _Quit playing around and hand it over!"

A dejected sigh, and papers ruffling. Then, Ed: "Lior?"

"There's been odd reports from around there. I need you to head on over and check it out."

"Define 'odd'."

"Rumors, of a false priest, preaching Letoism."

"Leotism? I've never heard of that before..." Edward sounded confused.

"That's where the odd part comes in. I expect a full report, for when you get back. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." _Beep beep, _said her sarcasm radar.

"Good."

There was talking, more talking, and Darcy tuned out most of the conversation, though that took some effort during Ed's outbursts. The blonde was obviously glad about his upcoming missions and the possible 'lead' it provided him with. Even Mustang seemed to put some merit into their talk. But Darcy couldn't care less. She just strained to hear words of use to _her._

"...for years ... confused ... could be serious ... human transmutation..."

Darcy's eyes widened.

_Huh? _

Why would military state officials - alchemists, no less - be discussing such a taboo topic? Unless...

_Rebound. Missing limbs. Missing body. Human transmutation. Sacrifice._

No.

It couldn't be! _  
><em>

Because that was crazy and insane and Ed was admittedly smart, he would never attempt something so _stupid. _

Darcy recalled first meeting the brothers in Central. She had woken up there to find them staring at her. And when she saw them, as she rolled down the hospital hallway in her wheelchair, she had noticed the pity in their eyes. Or she thought it was pity. Whatever it was, she despised it, so she lashed out. That was how she dealt with things.

_"Don't look at me like that!" she hissed. Then she turned on Al, because he didn't have that hard look in his eyes like Ed, and thus seemed like a softer target. "You're the one dressed like some retarded kid on Halloween!" _

_Ed stepped in front of his brother, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Shut up!" he spat. "You don't know a thing; get lost!" _

_"No, I don't think I will." She crossed her arms and smirked. "You're both freaks of nature. Why the hell are you wearing a tin suit of armor anyway? Got some sort of condition?"_

_"Listen," Al sounded hurt but serious. "I'm asking you nicely to cut it out."_

_"Wow. Guess who doesn't care?" And she glared at them one last time, hoping her damage was done, and then decided to wheel away._

And then she had made her stupid decision to let her curiosity rule and turn around and wheel right behind him and she reached up, up, before managing to rip his helmet off and peek inside. But she really wish she hadn't. There was nothing in there. No one. Not a little kid, or a big kid or anything but empty, echoing space.

She was lucky the hallway was empty.

Ed had threatened her and screamed and yelled and Al had nearly pleaded with her not to tell. So she decided not to. Partly because she didn't know she was she would say, partly because she only wanted to hurt them, but not have Al whisked away to a lab, but mostly because she was so shocked. And, no matter how much she thought about it, no explanation she thought of fit. After some research and snooping, she found out about Ed's missing limbs (_So that's why they call him the Fullmetal Alchemist...)._ But those could be explained in an accident or anything, really. She brushed the missing body situation off, later, as Al being a robot, even though she knew robots didn't exist here. Not one like _that. _

She'd be calmer if the human transmutation theory didn't make so much sense.

_Nothing is ever as it seems, is it? _She heard her father's voice in her head. He always said odd things like that, cryptic things.

Darcy angled herself closer to the door, hoping to hear an explanation. But nothing came up and she was left with her doubt and fear and a horribly sensible explanation. So she stood there, in her weird position, just in case. Minutes passed, one, two, three, four, five, six-

"I don't appreciate you eavesdropping on my brother."

Darcy whipped around, suppressing a squeak - she was spending _way _too much time around Tally - only to come face-to-face with Alphonse. He looked down at her, hands on his hips.

The redhead turned red, scooping her hair accessory off the floor and holding it out to him, trying to seem innocent. "I was just picking up my hairband."

Al shook his head. "You weren't," he said matter-of-factly. "You were here for ages."

Her eye twitched. "Mind your own business."

"Not when you're invading in ours!"

Darcy sneered. "Like you nerds are worth a second of my attention."

"I don't get it!" Al said. "We haven't done a single thing deserving of your hatred! In fact, we've been _kind._" He thought of his brother and added quickly, "For the most part. I don't understand why you're being so mean to us. To everyone!"

She couldn't think of a reply to this. Nothing snarky or mean or awful or even semi-hurtful. Looking back, this was probably the only time she had been addressed so bluntly about her cruel nature. Even Tally managed to think of it as a personality thing, a simple trait that could not be altered or changed. But this guy - no, this _kid _- seemed certain there was an actual answer to his inquiry. And that made her want to laugh and cry and punch him and run.

This was why she wanted out. She wanted - no, she _needed _- to be in charge. In control, of both herself and others, and what people thought of her. To have people drink up her attention and hope for a compliment or a nod or anything. Back home, she had mostly everyone under her spell. Here? She had no one.

Instead of spilling all this, however, she spat out, "Because I can, alright?!" and stomped off.

This day sucked.

* * *

><p><strong>ah. short chapter, nyet?<strong>

**ahaha ... what, it came a bit late? *nervous laugh* i never realized! i thought ... y-you know...**

**PATIENCE IS HAPPINESS.**

***ducks behind desk at flying mangoes* **

**well, this update isn't as late at the last one, and not nearly as late as i imagined it to be, aha! but i'm getting a new assignment every day, almost, and it's really stressing me out. plus, my friend wants me to do a collab with her, that i may or may not quit, and i have at least three hours of dance a day, and omfg, life is busy.**

***sigh***

**i'm sorry, my friends. :)**

**however, you have Kurt and Blaine to thank for this! *nod nod* i was watching Glee and noticed some similarities between Tally and Kurt (they're both dreamer brunettes that worship fashion, Alexander McQueen and have had crushes on those of the same gender. plus, they love music and dancing and see? haha! only Kurt's more ... graceful.). and that, my pals, had sparked some odd need in me to write, write, write!**

**and so i did. ^_^**

**am i not a genius?**

**i'm supposed to be working on my math project and literacy assignment right now. aha, but fuck it, this is so much more fun. :3 **

**so. we finally know of the history behind the Elrics and our favorite ginger. or ... not so favorite. :P**

**poor Tally. so clueless of the tension with all of her ... acquaintances. they're not even close to the friend stage. which is a shame. they could all be four best friends, journeying along for two different causes. **

**i think Tally's main motivations to get home are the following:**

**her friends, particularly Justin, who is like a brother to her.**

**her mother, who she's sure is going insane right now. **

**the stories back home in Disney movies and storybooks.**

**France.**

**French.**

**her dance classes.**

**and here are Darcy's motivations:**

**control.**

**...**

**yeah, and that's all. :3**

**well, before this author's note stretches out beyond measure, i think i'll go answer to all the lovelies that reviewed! :) **

**_Replying to the Lovelies!_  
><strong>

**_~...~_**

**Music Illusion: *ducks, scowling* hey! no fair! i'm busy, mmkay? :P i have a life. unlike ... you! hehe.  
><strong>

**understand? hm, that's one way to put it. but Darcy seems a bit fail at it, doesn't she? i wanted a change from the usual OC-gets-alchemy-perfectly-on-first-try. plus, it's a good ego-downsizer for her. ^_^ **

**Tally isn't ignorant! she's just odd, and not a technical kind of smart. it's like you and me, silly. :P idealist vs realist. Tally just isn't a realist.**

**really? :D squee! i've always wanted to inspire someone to write! so good for you, good for you! just keep listening to music and reading other fics and buh-bye, hiatus! **

**cya. :3**

**Everfew: yup, i've updated, alright! ^_^ and i'm glad you liked that part; it was my favorite part of the chapter.  
><strong>

**Md: hehe, someone's excited, it seems. ;) i'm glad you like it and think it's original! you're too kind, m'dear, too kind.**

**:O i don't want you to die! s-so here you go, the next chapter! ^_^ STAY WITH ME, MD!**

**SweetSirendipity: daw, girl, you too nice. :3  
><strong>

**yeah, aha, it was late, wasn't it? but long chappies make up for late chappies! i hope...**

**your favorite? *chest swells up with pride* hehe. thanks!**

**yeah, Darcy is still bitchy. and who knows how long she'll stay that way. but imagine a nice Darcy...**

**_Darcy skipped over happily to the Elrics and Tally, a happy smile on her face in place of her usual smirk. _  
><strong>

**_"What do you want?" Tally looked up from her book groggily, grumpy from the lack of information it contained._**

**_Darcy giggled at their expressions. "You all look sad!" she noted._**

**_The three exchanged glances. _**

**_"So I made you ... cookies~!" She held out a plate full of chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven, the chips still melting. _**

**_The trio screamed before running away, leaving Darcy to feed the birds and mend broken hearts._**

**...shudder. **

**haha, i liked that, too! ^_^ i thought it'd be too ... convenient, just to let her sidle in and explain to Beth. i'm just a mean person, i guess. :) **

**she is mean, isn't she? and perhaps it is Darcy! ... maybe ... Darcy's psychic... :O**

**rachLA: GAAAAH, all the beautiful reviews! *teary-eyed***

**i'll reply to all your reviews here, for easyness! ^_^**

**haha, totally. i mean, most people i know just toss on whatever and head off to school. Tally gets up an hour early to pick out her outfit. *sigh* she's odd like that. Darcy's more of a girl who wears expensive brands to impress others, not to express herself. call her shallow, but it's true. :3**

**omg. she and Winry would probably get along well! they both fangirl and annoy Ed! perfect friendship!**

**daw, my author's notes? amusing? hehe.**

**oh my, your talent in adjectives amazes me, my comrade! *bows down* hehehe.**

**awww, thank you so much for your compliments! they really make my day, let me tell you! you're too sweet.**

**really? yipee! i'm not the only one who thinks that~! *happy dance***

**ah, yes! be proud, fellow penguin rescuer! we will do together what PETA failed to do! hehehe. oh, poor Tally, if Ed catches her reading that. he'll probably lecture her on how ghosts don't exist and fairies aren't real and blah blah blah. and she'll argue back, calling him close-minded and stupid...**

**dude, i think you just gave me a new idea for a scene! remind me to put that in, when i get the chance. ;) **

**I LOVES YOU, TOO! *huggles* 3**

**i'm so happy i made you laugh! laughter is amaziiing, nyet? so laugh, laugh, all! **

***solemn nod* judging by these reviews, nearly everyone hates Darcy. it's sort of hard to like her. but now Ana (my friend who i based Darcy off of) curses at everyone. :P it's hilarious! keep the hate comin'! **

**but good on you for keeping the peace with old ladies and babies!**

**yup, you did mention. *bows once more* :P**

**i'm glad you like this story! :) i hope you like this new chapter, as well!**

**SmileRen: well, here's an update for ya! :) and i do, too, m'dear, i do, too.  
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**TheWaffleAlchemist: oi, epic named! don't worry; your review isn't late! all reviews are welcome into this family! *spreads arms*  
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**hehe. imagine that! Tally's just weird. **

**yup. she is. better than her being nice, nyet? **

**haha! i loved that scene! ^_^ **

**lucky for you, the wait wasn't too long!**

**~...~**

**and_ those are the Lovelies!_  
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**gaaah, seventy-two reviews?! *le gasp* you guys really are way too kind to me! ^_^ this is so awesome! **

**you know what this means, don't you? *solemn nod, then trumpets* seventy-two saved penguins, seventy-two klisses, and also twenty-eight reviews away from me beginning to plan an upcoming fluff scene! this doesn't mean that the fluff scene will come immediately after i get that many reviews; it means i'll start writing one, so you'll know it'll come. but it may not arrive until, like, chapter eighty. :P who knows?**

**oh! plus, equivalent exchange, right? i give you story, you review story? :P don't tamper with alchemy, my friends! **

**but seriously, i am eternally grateful for every single review, favorite, follow and read! thank you sooo much! you guys are awesome! ^_^**

**happy reading!**


	9. Author's Notice

**well. hello, my lovelies. :)**

**i have some good/bad news for you. what does this mean? it means that, perhaps it may not be the best in your opinion, but it is the best for the story. and that means that it's something to consider and, i hope, accept as a part of the writing process - my writing process.**

**i'll quit stalling now and get to the point:**

**i'm rewriting this story. **

**i'm sorry to anyone who is upset at this, i really, really am. but i have to. i looked back at my writing today, and it seemed very amateurish and ... not _me. _it felt like someone else writing. i guess my style has grown.**

**however, there are some good things that come with this!**

**everything will be better: more refined, sharper, cleaner and clearer. the characters i had before were messy and everywhere. don't worry; Tally will still be here. :P she will not be a punk/goth/rocker or anything too different from her current character. but i'll be tying up lose ends and knots, trying to fix everything up. :) **

**plus, updates! i hereby vow to try to the fullest extent of my abilities to make updates more frequent. you have my word. this means no more hugely long waits. i know lots of readers lost interest due to these, and when my readers are upset, so am i.**

**so please don't be upset! er, cookies for all! *hands out virtual cookies***

**i will be keeping the original story up until the first chapter of the rewrite is up. i'm not sure when, exactly, it'll be up, but it should be soon. in a few weeks, perhaps. if anyone has any questions/concerns, please PM me! i will be happy to address them all! **

**again, i'm sorry to anyone who is upset.**

**i look forward to sharing the new story with you. :)**


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